Outraged NMC Commissioner Shyam Wardhane orders investigation into the matter, Executive Engineer of NMC’s Water Works Department to submit report today
Nagpur News: “Fear of drinking water is a classic paranoia, especially since in medieval times or earlier it could be quite difficult to come by a clean water supply (just imagine what it was like it the days before water filtration and the only river within miles had thousands of people throwing all their waste, including biological wastes, into it upstream) and thus a well could be the center of life for miles around. If anything happened to it or anyone tried to contaminate it, you’d never know until it was too late…”
These lines sum up the importance of clean drinking water and its supply. However, words in lines have not suggested or advised tampering the water pipes lines supplying water to the citizens of Nagpur city. But the tampering has come to notice and the “culprits” are our own Corporators of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). The Corporators, who faced bombarding from the enraged citizens of their respective wards for irregular or sometimes no water supply at all, resorted to tamper with main pipeline by connecting small pipelines and thus supplying a large quantity of water to the citizens of their wards. Intentions are good. But it is illegal.
The NMC Commissioner Shyam Wardhane has taken a serious note of the illegal actions on the part of Corporators and had ordered investigation into the matter on Saturday. Accordingly, Executive Engineer of NMC’s Water Works Department Azizureheman probed the matter and is likely to submit his report to the Commissioner today (May 7).
The tampering with main 900 mm pipeline at Gangabai Ghat Square Station was noticed after the Corporators resorted to the illegal action. The NMC Commissioner was outraged over the fact and that too without proper permission from the concerned authorities. The angry Commissioner has said that a severe action would be taken against the concerned officials and even against political leaders whichever party they belong. Nobody would be spared found guilty in probe report, asserted the Commissioner Shyam Wardhane.
PANIC IN RULING PARTY, NMC OFFICIALS: A 1300 mm pipelines has been laid from Kanhan Pumping Station to Automotive Square in Nagpur. From this point a 900 mm pipeline has been laid for water supply to areas of Nandanvan and Lakadganj. This pipeline passes through Gangabai Ghat Square and its benefits are derived by citizens of some parts of North, East, and South zones. Near about 15 water tanks are connected to this main pipeline. However, during the shutdown of Kanhan Pumping Station the main pipeline of 900 mm was tampered with by breaking open the pipeline by the Corporators and connecting sub-pipelines on the basis of usual 4 or 5 mm lines laid down by NMC for water supply to the citizens. The Corporators’ intention was to supply water to Mahal-based Killa Water Tank.
The matter was exposed after a survey by the DRA Consultant was carried out over water supply and the pipelines. The survey found tampering of main pipeline at Gangabai Ghat Square Water Station. The DRA Consultant immediately apprised the tampering to the NMC Commissioner, Mayor Anil Sole, Chairman of Water Supply Committee of NMC, Executive Engineer of Water Works Department and the CEO of Orange City Water (OCW) by written letters. The DRA Consultant also warned of serious consequences of the tampering as water supply to at least 15 water tanks could be jeopardized and the citizens could be starved of water supply. The authorities of DRA Consultant made it clear that they would not be responsible for the dire consequences as a result of the tampering with the main pipeline and also advised the NMC authorities to immediately stop the tampering. The letters to top bosses of the NMC have triggered a panic among the Ruling Party Corporators and the NMC Administration. The Commissioner had already ordered an investigation into the matter and all concerned Corporators and NMC officials are awaiting anxiously the outcome of the probe.
BSP’S DEMAND: The BSP Group leader Murli Meshram with some Corporators met Aasi Nagar Zone Chairman Goutam Patil and demanded stopping of diversion of water from North Nagpur to other areas immediately. They also demanded revelation of the fact that how much MLD of water supply is drawn from Kanhan Water Purification Plant. The diversion issue snowballed on Monady and there were demands to stop diversion of water supply from Nagpur’s East and South areas to other areas.
