Nagpur: In a brazen display of lawlessness and political muscle, Orange City Water (OCW) was forced to restore illegal water connections in Nagpur’s Bara Signal in Borkar Nagar area after its staff was held hostage, abused, and openly threatened by locals backed by political patronage.
The incident unfolded in the Fort-2 command area of Gandhibagh Zone, where for years residents have been enjoying free water through unauthorized household connections. On September 12, OCW finally moved in to disconnect the illegal lines and charge newly installed metered pipelines, part of a citywide effort to curb non-revenue water (NRW) and streamline distribution.
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But the moment the crackdown began, chaos erupted. A group from Sweeper Colony allegedly abused the OCW team and their contract workers, stopped the interconnection work midway, and held them hostage until local police intervened. That day, the entire locality went without drinking water, while dug-up pits for pipeline work were left dangerously open.
Determined to complete the job, OCW returned the next day with police presence and support from Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). Yet, shockingly, the situation repeated itself. The locals once again blocked the work, threatened the staff in full view of police, and brazenly defied authority. What stunned many observers was the complete inaction of law enforcement, who merely watched as a government agency was bullied into submission.
Adding insult to injury, local politicians and an ex-corporator openly sided with the agitators. Instead of backing the official plan for metered supply, they pressured OCW to reconnect the same illegal connections the agency had just removed. Left with no choice, OCW finally buckled, abandoning its drive and reconnecting the unauthorized lines under political diktat.
This shameful episode not only highlights the utter collapse of law enforcement but also exposes how political interference perpetuates the water mafia in Nagpur. While the city reels under inequitable water supply and mounting NRW losses, those responsible for implementing reforms are themselves being coerced into protecting the very illegality they are meant to end.
