Nagpur: After nearly two years of shutdown, Futala Musical Fountain is expected to be technically ready by the first week of Dec. It briefly sprang to life on Sunday evening, as water jets shot up and orange lights illuminated the lake for a few minutes.Senior officials associated with the project clarified that the display was not a trial run but a brief technical exercise to check water and lighting effects. “Similar intermittent checks will now become more frequent as restoration enters its final stages, allowing engineers to identify glitches, fine-tune equipment and gradually integrate the various systems,” senior MahaMetro officials said.Technical readiness, however, does not mean the fountain will open to the public immediately. The inauguration and commencement of public shows will depend on necessary approvals and administrative decisions, which could take additional time, officials added.An international technical team, including Belgian expert Basile de Schrynmakers and Emmy Award-winning cinematographer and technical director Alphonse Roy, is in Nagpur to oversee the final preparations.The immediate priority is to synchronise the fountain’s mechanical, electrical and digital control systems, a process scheduled to begin in the first week of Nov, officials said. Unlike conventional fountains, Futala’s multimedia installation combines choreographed water jets, lighting, sound and visual projections, all of which must work in tandem.Meanwhile, installation of the white tensile fabric over the steel skeleton of the fountain’s signature artificial banyan tree has been completed, a senior official confirmed. The structure will serve as a projection surface for animated visuals during the multimedia shows.The next step is a detailed 3D LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scan of the tree. Using laser measurements, the technology will create a precise digital model of the irregular structure, enabling the animation team to map visuals onto its contours rather than a flat surface.Restoration has involved extensive replacement of specialised electrical cables, pump components and other machinery following the prolonged shutdown. With the international team on site, the focus is now on completing the remaining restoration work and preparing the systems for integrated testing.
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