Nagpur: Nagpur is heading towards a possible water-supply curtailment as rapidly depleting reservoir levels put the city’s drinking water security under increasing pressure. With the State Government already directing local bodies to reduce water consumption by 10%, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is now weighing the extent of the proposed cut, which could affect households across the city.
Guardian Minister and State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule will hold a review meeting on Saturday to assess the reservoir situation and examine the city’s preparedness to deal with the emerging shortage. Mayor Neeta Thakre has indicated that a decision on water rationing is imminent, although the civic administration is still assessing how much supply can be reduced without causing undue hardship to residents.
“The Government has issued directions regarding water cuts. Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule will review the situation on Saturday. A decision on water cuts will have to be taken, but we are studying the extent of reduction that can be implemented,” Thakre said.
The NMC has so far avoided implementing the State Government’s directive to reduce water supply by 10% from October 16. However, the sharp deterioration in storage levels compared with last year has made the situation increasingly difficult to ignore.
The Government’s directive follows deficient rainfall and concerns over the possible impact of El Nino on water availability. Local bodies have been instructed to accord top priority to drinking water requirements, maintain a 10% reserve for emergencies and implement water-management measures until August 31, 2027.
74 MLD reduction could hit daily supply
Nagpur presently receives approximately 740 million litres per day (MLD) of treated water from Totladoh and the Kanhan river. A 10% reduction would translate into a daily cut of nearly 74 MLD, making water management a major challenge for the civic administration.
One of the biggest concerns is the substantial volume of water lost through non-revenue water (NRW), which includes pipeline leakages, unauthorised connections and distribution inefficiencies. Nearly 35% of the city’s total water supply, equivalent to around 259 MLD, falls under this category.
The civic body claims to be saving approximately 50 MLD every day through repairs to leaking pipelines and regularisation of unauthorised connections. However, the actual and sustained reduction in losses will be critical in determining whether the NMC can avoid a steep cut in consumer supply.
Totladoh storage crashes from 93.90% to 34.36%
The reservoir position presents an alarming picture, particularly at Totladoh, Nagpur’s principal water source. Its live storage has plunged to just 34.36% of designed capacity, compared with a healthy 93.90% on the corresponding date last year.
The situation at other reservoirs is also concerning. Khindsi is currently holding 36.37% storage against 90.53% a year ago, while Kamptee Khairy has 57.34% compared with 72.10% during the corresponding period last year.
The steep decline in storage at Totladoh and Khindsi highlights the growing vulnerability of Nagpur’s water supply system and the need for immediate conservation measures.
Leakage control and water conservation under focus
The NMC is banking on reducing distribution losses and curbing unnecessary consumption to ease pressure on available reserves. Measures include expediting pipeline repairs, regularising illegal connections and discouraging the use of treated drinking water for non-essential activities such as vehicle washing and road cleaning.
However, with nearly 259 MLD classified as non-revenue water, the effectiveness of these measures will be closely scrutinised. The civic administration will have to establish how much water can actually be saved through improved distribution management and whether these savings can substantially offset the proposed reduction.
Saturday’s review meeting is expected to determine the course of action, including the timing and extent of any water cut. The NMC faces a difficult balancing act: conserving rapidly shrinking reservoir reserves while ensuring that residents continue to receive adequate drinking water.
For Nagpur, the looming water restriction is a warning that the city may have to brace for a prolonged period of tighter water management unless reservoir levels improve substantially.
