Nagpur: As the water scarcity in Nagpur is signalling disruption in water supply to Koradi thermal power plant in Nagpur, Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) has finally decided to dig out water from its mines apart from the coal. This is expected to proportionately ease water availability for domestic use in the city.
The power plant is at present drawing water from the reservoir on Pench river, which flows from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. WCL plans to supply 18,000 gallons per minute — 117 MLD — to the plant which runs for 24 hours.
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) also sources its water supply from the Pench reservoir. However, as MP government is building a dam on the river, Maharashtra’s quota will come down.
A senior official in the NMC said at present the civic body supplies 650 MLD to the city. So, if WCL directly supplies water to the power plant, then as much as 20% of the city’s water needs can be spared at the reservoir.
“Groundwater is also dug out during the mining operations. Earlier, it used to be simply drained out. Now, WCL plans to put it into proper use,” WCL’s CMD RR Shukla told media at Patrakar Bhavan on Monday.
He said a separate pipeline will be set up for supplying water to Koradi, which may also be used by the Khaparkheda plant of Mahagenco, he said.
Dubbing it to be first in the world, Mishra said WCL and Mahagenco have also tied up for laying a pipeline to supply coal to the power plants. There are five mines of WCL surrounding the Koradi plant which now gets coal through road. The pipeline from mines will not only cut the distance but also do away with any chance of pollution, he said.
“The coal will be supplied through conveyor belts fitted within the pipes. The pipeline is being laid down by the Mahagenco. It will invest the fund which will be saved by changing its source of coal supply from Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), in Odisha to city-based WCL,” said Mishra.
He said the pipeline will also be having online equipment to check quality of coal. Transport through pipeline prevents pilferage too. So far, there is only one such arrangement in the country made by a private player. “Five pipelines connecting to a single point will be first in the world,” he claimed.
