Nagpur Municipal Corporation will intensify action against the misuse of potable water as shrinking reservoir levels and deficient rainfall raise concerns over the city’s water security in the coming months. The civic body will inspect car-washing centres and swimming pools, penalise violations and pursue illegal water connections under a set of conservation measures reviewed by municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar.
At a meeting on Saturday, Itankar directed officials to conduct inspections across the city. Establishments found wasting drinking water or violating regulations could face action, including penalties of up to Rs 5,000. The NMC has prohibited the use of potable water for washing vehicles, cleaning roads, watering gardens and construction activities.
The enforcement drive will also target unauthorised water connections. Before stricter action begins, the civic body plans to hold special camps at zonal offices to give consumers an opportunity to regularise such connections. Officials have been instructed to install water meters at regularised connections, while consumers found tampering with or removing meters could face police complaints.
The measures come as reduced rainfall has left the city’s reservoirs with significantly lower storage. The administration is seeking to conserve available treated water while developing alternative sources for activities that do not require drinking-quality supplies, including vehicle washing, gardening and some construction-related uses.
As part of that effort, NMC officials have been directed to clean existing public wells and have their water quality tested through laboratories. The civic body will also explore installing solar-powered pumps with assistance from the Maharashtra Energy Development Agency. These wells are intended to support small-scale water-supply schemes, primarily for non-potable purposes.
The NMC will coordinate with the Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency to develop rainwater-harvesting and groundwater-recharge structures. Officials will also work on reviving existing wells and borewells to improve groundwater availability. The plans indicate a move towards using multiple local sources for non-potable demand rather than relying entirely on treated municipal water.
Another proposal under consideration is the installation of decentralised sewage treatment plants at suitable locations across Nagpur. Treated wastewater could be used to maintain gardens, water plantations along road dividers and support construction activities. Reusing treated sewage for these purposes would reduce demand for potable water, although the source report did not specify the number, locations or implementation timeline of the proposed plants.
Itankar has separately directed the water-supply department to identify and repair leakages in distribution pipelines immediately. The instruction is aimed at preventing further losses from the municipal network as the city attempts to conserve its available supply.
Senior NMC officials, engineers, water-supply department personnel and representatives of Orange City Water attended the review meeting. The immediate measures combine enforcement against wastage and unauthorised connections with proposed investments in wells, groundwater recharge, rainwater harvesting and treated wastewater reuse.
