The river rejuvenation drive for 2026 launched by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is encountering a critical last-mile challenge, with a significant gap emerging between sludge excavation and its disposal. Even as officials push to meet the April 30 deadline to clean the city's three major rivers, data indicates that the transportation of excavated silt remains far behind schedule.
Current Progress and Gaps
Against a target of 65,000 cubic metres (CBM) of sludge removal, only about 15,000 CBM has been transported so far, representing just 23% of the goal. This leaves over 40,000 CBM of silt still lying along riverbanks, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the clean-up, particularly with the monsoon season approaching.
Overall, approximately 67.71% of the 49.16-kilometre river stretch covering the Nag, Pili, and Pora rivers has been cleaned. The Nag river is the frontrunner, with 86.54% of its stretch completed, followed by the Pili river at 67.42%. The Pora river clean-up continues to lag at 47.5%.
Excavation vs. Transportation
The progress, however, is largely confined to excavation. The Nag river alone has seen 39,215 CBM of sludge removed, but more than 25,000 CBM remains to be transported. The situation is more stark for the Pili river, where 9,640 CBM has been excavated, but just 67 CBM has been shifted. The Pora river also has over 5,000 CBM pending transportation.
The imbalance is linked to uneven resource deployment. The Nag river has been allocated the bulk of machinery, including all three JCBs and 15 tippers, while the Pili and Pora rivers have no dedicated transport equipment, slowing down sludge lifting operations.
Official Assurances
An NMC official stated that the situation is temporary and assured that all excavated sludge will be shifted in the coming days. "Entire material removed from the riverbeds will be transported shortly. We are working to complete the process before the April 30 deadline," the official said.
Responding to queries about the slow pace on the Pora river, the official explained that the stretch poses logistical challenges as parts of it fall outside city limits. "The river passes through out-of-city areas as well. At the same time, we are also cleaning stretches in Besa and adjoining areas, which is affecting the pace," the official added.
Expert Concerns
Despite the assurances, experts caution that unless transportation picks up immediately, the accumulated sludge could wash back into the rivers during heavy rains, undoing the progress made so far and increasing flood risks. The data highlights a key operational gap in the project: while excavation is nearing targets, disposal has not kept pace. With the deadline looming, the focus now shifts to whether the civic body can bridge this gap in time or risk the clean-up turning into a partial, short-lived effort.
