SHIMLA: The hoteliers   are suffering losses due to water scarcity  in the city. They either have to keep rooms vacant or  have to  purchase water through tankers at an absorbent rates to suffice the  water need of guests, rued Tourism Industry Stakeholders Association(TISA).

According to TISA’s president Mohinder Seth,  SJPNL has miserably failed to provide regular water supply in the city. They are providing water after three or four or even five days that too with a very low pressure for a short duration"

"If the government does not wake up now, the city will collapse as its carrying capacity has been stretched to its limits",  Seth cautioned. 

Mushrooming BB Units  and Homestays Adding to Multiple Problems in Shimla

“This is a regular practice of SJPNL in summer months,   rainy days and in winter season  to curtail supply of water in the name of one excuse or the other”, he said. There   is a mushroom growth of Bread and Breakfast units   and Homestays in and around Shimla, he stated.

“Most of these units are using  water on domestic tariff and many of them are having multiple connections”. These units  installed water  storage tanks having  huge capacity.

Not only this, there are large number of B&B and home stay units, which are running much more  higher number of  rooms  than permissible six and four rooms respectively  under the B&B and home stay scheme, hoteliers complained.

There are number of unregistered houses or villas which are running as guest houses. The holiday homes of various banks, companies  are also housed in private buildings in Shimla, TISA charged.

As a result, these guest house and holiday homes are  worsening water situation in the city because these holiday homes have also installed large number of storage tanks and corner most supply, hoteliers said.

“The association  has been pointing  out  this various times to the SJPNL but to no avail”, Seth said.

SJPNL should ensure that there is no misuse of water connection  by the B&B , home stay  units and Holiday Homes.  “SJPNL should also ensure that one Unit should have only  one water connection and does not have multiple water storage tanks”, associated said.

The storage of water made by these units increase the scarcity  of water in the city.

The hoteliers are also sailing in the same boat as the general public. The hoteliers are being charged   700 percent higher tariff in whole of Himachal and still  not getting water, Seth said.

The hotel industry contributes about 15 percent of the GDP and generates highest employment but still suffering losses due to scarcity of water, Seth claimed.

Similarly maximum B&B units does not have parking facility. The guests staying in these  units park the cars here and there on the road thus chock the traffic, association pointed out.

Ban Registration of BB Units, Homestays and Hotels in Shimla

As the carrying capacity of Shimla is already over- burdened, there is a need to impose complete ban on further registration of new hotels, B&B  and Home stay units in the radius of 15 kilometres from Shimla city to keep the city alive and running, association demands.

Shimla has more than enough accommodation in existing hotels, B&B and Home Stay units in and around City. There is a need to have combing operation to check the tourist accommodation, which is being run without any registration illegally.

In case the harsh steps like imposing ban is not taken by the Government   the water and traffic system in Shimla will completely collapse, Seth warns.