The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has ramped up water withdrawal to nearly its entire allocated quota of 786 million litres per day (MLD) as scorching heatwave conditions persist across the region. This move aims to ensure uninterrupted water supply throughout the city, officials confirmed.
Record Water Withdrawal
According to the NMC's waterworks department, the civic body has been drawing approximately 780 MLD of water daily over the past ten days, marking the highest-ever water withdrawal in the city's history. Until recently, the NMC was drawing around 765 MLD from its two primary water sources. Of the current 780 MLD, about 230 MLD is sourced from the Kanhan river system, while the remaining 550 MLD is pumped from the Pench reservoir.
Reasons for Increased Withdrawal
Officials attributed the heightened extraction to rising consumption during the peak summer season and growing demand from newly developed localities. A senior official from the NMC stated that for the first time, the corporation has come close to utilising its entire sanctioned allocation of 786 MLD. "The increased pumping began around ten days ago. Demand has gone up significantly due to the intense summer and expansion of the city," he explained.
Water Supply Infrastructure
The city currently has around 4.5 lakh water consumers within NMC limits. While most areas are connected to the piped water network, several peripheral localities continue to depend on tanker supply. To serve these non-network areas, the NMC has deployed 36 water tankers, each making between eight and ten trips daily. Officials said tanker operations have been intensified to ensure that residents in fringe areas do not face shortages. In addition to the NMC's tanker fleet, Orange City Water (OCW) has also deployed tankers to supplement supply wherever required.
Storage and Distribution
The civic body distributes water through a network of 109 storage facilities, comprising both ground storage reservoirs (GSRs) and elevated storage reservoirs (ESRs) spread across the city. Depending on local demand, infrastructure capacity, and storage levels, water supply duration varies from two hours to 24 hours across different zones. Data from the NMC's waterworks department shows that around 85,000 consumers, primarily located in southwest Nagpur, currently receive 24x7 water supply under the city's continuous water supply initiative.
Future Outlook
Officials maintained that the present water stock position in the Pench reservoir remains comfortable, and there is no immediate threat to supply. However, they emphasised that prudent use of water remains essential as the city continues to witness increasing demand with expanding urbanisation.
