Nagpur's Gorewada Lake Sewage Controversy Escalates Over Water Safety
The controversy surrounding sewage contamination in Nagpur's Gorewada lake has intensified dramatically, with the Congress party leveling serious allegations against the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). The opposition claims there are glaring contradictions in the civic body's official stance on water quality, even as correspondence from the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM) highlights untreated sewage entering the reserved forest area. This pollution potentially threatens the city's critical water source, raising urgent public health concerns.
Congress Challenges NMC's Potability Claims
The escalation follows a press release issued by NMC just two days prior, which defended the Gorewada lake water as potable. The municipal corporation cited laboratory test reports and firmly maintained that no sewage contamination exists. However, at a press conference held on Friday, leader of opposition Sanjay Mahakalkar, along with corporators Shailesh Pandey, Wasim Khan, and Vivek Nikose, publicly questioned these assertions. They demanded full transparency, calling for the immediate public release of all laboratory test reports to verify the water's safety.
Timeline of Shifting Statements and Allegations
Tracing a detailed timeline of what they describe as shifting positions, Congress leaders pointed to several key admissions. During the March 20 general body meeting, superintending engineer Shweta Banerjee acknowledged that sewage from the Dabha area was indeed entering Gorewada lake, though she maintained that water was not being drawn from it at that time. This was followed by an April 11 admission from the water works department, which confirmed that 4-5% of water was being pumped from Gorewada to maintain levels at the city's pumping station. Given these prior statements, the NMC's latest assertion that the lake water is completely safe has raised profound doubts and suspicions among opposition members and the public.
Corporator Shailesh Pandey alleged that the civic body's recent 'clean chit' directly contradicts its own earlier acknowledgments. He questioned the source and quality of the water being pumped, suggesting the situation is being deliberately obscured from public view. To substantiate his claims, Pandey submitted bottles containing pale yellow-colored water collected from the lake to the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department's executive engineer, Shrikant Waikar, and other office-bearers, including the mayor's office. He announced plans to conduct an independent water test to challenge the NMC's findings.
FDCM Letters Reveal Unaddressed Environmental Crisis
Adding substantial weight to the controversy are official letters from the FDCM addressed to the Nagpur Improvement Trust, with copies sent to the NMC commissioner. These documents flag a critical issue: untreated sewage from Dabha and Ganesh Nagar is flowing directly into the Gorewada Reserved Forest, completely bypassing the sewage treatment plant. Despite repeated communications since 2024, the letters state that this environmental hazard remains unaddressed, indicating systemic negligence.
The environmental impact is already visibly severe. During a patrol in May 2025, forest officials reported mass fish deaths in contaminated water bodies within the forest, a clear indicator of extreme pollution. The affected area is part of a protected forest ecosystem that also houses a proposed conservation breeding facility for wild water buffalo, now under direct threat due to the ongoing contamination.
Public Health Risks and Calls for Action
More critically, the polluted nullah eventually drains into Gorewada lake, which serves as a key backup source for Nagpur's drinking water supply. This direct link raises alarming concerns about long-term public health risks. While the NMC maintains that Gorewada is only used as an emergency source and that all supplied water undergoes treatment, the FDCM's findings suggest a deeper, unresolved issue on the ground that could compromise water safety protocols.
Leader of opposition Sanjay Mahakalkar emphasized that the failure to disclose comprehensive water quality reports, coupled with a lack of transparency in recent inspections, has only deepened public suspicion and mistrust. He, along with corporator Pandey, demanded immediate action to stop the flow of sewage water into the lake. They urged the NMC to implement robust measures to conserve the lake, which is surrounded by vital forest land.
"If it failed to act now, like other water bodies in the city, Gorewada too would die a slow death," Pandey warned gravely. He added that if the issue remains unresolved, he is prepared to sit on a hunger strike to draw attention to the crisis and force accountability from the authorities.
