Nagpur increases water supply by 10 million litres daily

Nagpur is experiencing rising temperatures, leading to increased water usage in the city. In response, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has boosted water supply by nearly 10 million litres per day (MLD). On Wednesday, the irrigation department began releasing water from the Navegaon Khairi dam into the Kanhan river to help stabilize its flow. This adjustment increased the daily water supply from 725 MLD to 735 MLD to meet demand. Previously, NMC sourced 220 MLD from the Kanhan river and the rest from the Pench reservoir. However, the heat has diminished the river's flow, pushing NMC to rely more on Pench. NMC distributes water through a network of 102 elevated reservoirs, providing for roughly 4.35 lakh connections across Nagpur. Despite the increased supply, some areas still experience water shortages, mainly due to a lack of direct pipeline access. To resolve this, NMC has deployed water tankers to deliver water to residents in these zones. Currently, 54 tankers are in operation across six zones. The Hanuman Nagar zone has eight tankers, while the Lakadganj zone, the most affected, needs 20 tankers. The Satranjipura and Ashi Nagar zones use 19 and 14 tankers, respectively, along with one each in Laxmi Nagar and Gandhibagh zones. Improvements in the city's water distribution system have been notable compared to previous years. In 2019, as many as 326 tankers were required daily due to severe shortages. Under the leadership of NMC's superintending engineer, Shweta Banerjee, the supply network has been streamlined, reducing the need for tankers significantly. This change has also led to cost savings, cutting yearly expenses for tanker services from Rs22 crore to just Rs2 crore, reflecting better water infrastructure and management in Nagpur.