Nagpur district authorities are preparing an alternative water arrangement for Wadi as storage in Vena dam has fallen to 56.42%, with Ambazari Lake being considered as a backup source if the reservoir level drops further. The proposed contingency could affect water supply to more than one lakh people across Wadi, Deolameti and the Ordnance Factory area.
District collector Kumar Ashirwad has sought an urgent proposal for treating water from both Vena dam and Ambazari Lake. The administration discussed the possibility of using Ambazari Lake at a recent review meeting after assessing the available stock, treatment capacity and alternative sources for the supply scheme.
Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran supplies water from Vena dam to Wadi, Deolameti and Ordnance Factory. The three areas together have a daily water demand of 23.68 million litres. Storage in the dam has declined from 99.88% in November last year to the current level, raising concerns about both the quantity and quality of raw water available for treatment.
MJP engineers told the collector that a further fall in the reservoir level could make Vena’s raw water more difficult to treat through conventional methods. Referring to a Maharashtra Pollution Control Board report, they identified iron, ammonia and biochemical oxygen demand, or BOD, as priority parameters for monitoring. BOD is an indicator of organic pollution, and the engineers said these readings could rise as the water level declines.
During an inspection of Wadi’s water treatment plant, engineers briefed Ashirwad on proposed trials using ozone, nanobubble technology and foam fractionation. Foam fractionation uses foam to separate some contaminants from water. The proposed treatment plan would cover Vena water if its quality deteriorates and Ambazari water if the lake is brought into the supply system.
Ashirwad directed officials to submit the treatment proposal to the collectorate at the earliest. He also ordered regular water-quality testing across the distribution network and closer monitoring of the treatment process. The review included the plant’s capacity, maintenance and repair requirements, the quantity of water being drawn, storage capacity and the distribution of treated water to consumers.
Officials were further directed to clean the treatment facility regularly, complete necessary repairs and plug pipeline leakages. The collector also asked agencies to revive old water sources and undertake conservation measures to protect the remaining supply. The administration’s next step is to examine the treatment proposal and continue monitoring Vena dam levels and water quality before deciding whether Ambazari Lake needs to be tapped.
