Nagpur's worsening water crisis flared into a political flashpoint on Monday, as Congress corporators accused the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Orange City Water Ltd (OCWL) of systemic failure over erratic supply, contamination, and stalled restoration works across several wards.
At a review meeting convened by leader of opposition Sanjay Mahakalkar at his chamber in the NMC headquarters, corporators said the crisis has spread across key pockets from north and central to west Nagpur, affecting hundreds of households.
Key Areas Affected
Corporator Dinesh Yadav flagged severe distress in Prabhag 2, where over 600 houses in Sanyal Nagar, Sahyog Nagar and areas along Pili Nadi are dealing with drainage water entering homes alongside irregular supply. "Residents are battling both scarcity and unhygienic conditions," he said.
Prabhag 11 emerged as another hotspot. Corporator Shailesh Pandey cited Geeta Nagar, Bandhu Nagar, Jai Hind Nagar, Zingabai Takli and Mahesh Nagar as worst affected. In Mahesh Nagar, sewage is reportedly mixing with drinking water. Pandey noted that pipeline restoration work, pending since March 22, has heightened contamination risks.
In Prabhag 8, corporator Wasim Khan described acute shortages in Takiya, Safi Nagar, Bariyarpura and along Hairi Road. "Women are being forced to depend on relatives' homes for basic sanitation," he said.
Complaints also came from Rambagh Colony and non-network areas near Gorewada Lake, where interconnection gaps have disrupted supply.
Unrestored Roads and Accidents
In Prabhag 14, corporator Abhijeet Jha highlighted prolonged civic neglect, alleging that roads dug up under the AMRUT pipeline project in Ravi Nagar govt colony have remained unrestored for five months. "Deep craters on the main road have led to frequent accidents, particularly at night, forcing residents onto unsafe internal routes," he claimed.
NMC Officials Direct Action
Corporators criticised the NMC's Public Health Engineering (PHE) department for poor planning, weak coordination and delayed response. Superintending engineer Shweta Banerjee and executive engineer Shrikant Waikar, present at the meeting, directed OCWL officials to address the issues promptly.
The opposition demanded a ward-wise audit, immediate restoration of excavated stretches and a time-bound action plan, warning that with peak summer approaching, the situation risks spiralling into a full-blown civic emergency.
Power Tripping Disrupts Supply
A startling reply by superintending engineer Shweta Banerjee sparked concern after Congress corporator Vivek Nikose flagged water supply disruptions due to frequent power tripping. Banerjee said despite express feeders at Pench and Kanhan, outages in Mansar — under Madhya Pradesh's jurisdiction — are hitting Nagpur's water supply. She added that the issue will be taken up with municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar to find a solution.
