The Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) has now officially introduced water rationing in the state capital, announcing supply of drinking water every third day for an hour. Though the corporation was providing water in the peripheral areas of the town every third day since the beginning of this month, the residents of the town, who were being provided water daily, would now be getting water on every alternate day. According to sources in the SMC, the hill station with a population of 2,50,000 needs 40 -million litres of water daily, but it has only 30 million litres of water for distribution. They said the shortage of drinking water was due to the depleting water sources at the Gumma, Churat, Ashwani Khad. With the onset of summers, the increasing demand leads to severe water scarcity. SMC Mayor Narender Kataria confirmed the introduction of water rationing in the town, saying that the areas within the town would now receive water on alternate days only. "Once the Giri water scheme starts, we will be able to restore regular supply of water in the town,' he added. The scheme was to be made operational on October 2, last year and since then several other dates announcing its launch have passed with the town remaining without supply of drinking water. With no new additional drinking water sources and failure of the respective state government's and local urban body to make arrangements for supply of water for more than 1.5 lakh people, the summers seems to be long and cruel.