Nagpur water projects worth Rs1,300 crore received a push from the state government after guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule ruled out an immediate water cut and approved 190 million cubic metres of Pench water for the city until August 2027.
Bawankule announced the measures while chairing a review meeting at Bachhat Bhavan, a day after mayor Neeta Thakre warned that a water cut could become inevitable because of declining reservoir levels. The minister directed the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA) and the water resources department to prepare proposals for two long-term water supply projects.
The larger proposal is a Rs900-crore barrage on the Kanhan and Kolar rivers. NMC and the water resources department have been asked to jointly prepare the proposal and seek approval from the state cabinet. According to the report, the barrage is intended to provide Nagpur with a more reliable water source and strengthen the city’s long-term water security.
The second project, estimated at Rs400 crore, is a regional water supply scheme to be implemented through NMRDA. It would use 35 million litres per day from Nagpur’s allocated Pench water that currently remains unutilised. The scheme is intended to supply cities adjoining Nagpur, improve regional distribution and reduce pressure on the existing supply network.
Bawankule also approved NMC’s request for 190 million cubic metres of water from the Pench project until August 2027. The approval is intended to secure the city’s water allocation over the coming months, as officials assess the impact of declining reservoir levels and drought-like conditions.
The immediate decision comes after the state government directed municipal corporations to implement a 10% water cut from October 16. NMC deferred the measure, citing the festive season and the need to assess reservoir levels. Thakre later said that restrictions could become unavoidable if the situation worsened. At the latest review meeting, however, Bawankule said there would be no immediate cut.
The minister directed officials to restrict commercial water use amid the water stress. He also called for compulsory installation of rainwater harvesting systems as part of conservation measures. The report did not specify the commercial restrictions, their enforcement mechanism or a deadline for implementing the rainwater harvesting requirement.
The meeting was attended by Minister of State Ashish Jaiswal, mayor Neeta Thakre, Rajya Sabha member Maya Ivnate, MLCs Rajiv Poddar and Sanjay Bhende, MLAs Krishna Khopde and Pravin Datke, deputy mayor Leela Hathibed, standing committee chairperson Shivani Dani-Wakhare, municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar, NIT chairman Sanjay Meena and senior officials from NMC, NMRDA and the water resources department. The next steps are the preparation of the two project proposals and their submission to the state government for approval.
