Nagpur: Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has deferred the proposed 10% water cut in view of the ongoing festive season and may implement conservation measures from Nov. The civic body is also exploring the option of reducing daily water supply hours instead of imposing a direct cut, a senior Water Works Department official told TOI.NMC had ruled out a water cut from Oct 16, despite the state govt’s directive to reduce consumption by 10%. The administration is currently focusing on plugging leakages, curbing illegal connections and preventing wastage of treated water. However, with concerns over reservoir storage persisting, the possibility of restrictions from Nov remains on the table.The civic body currently supplies around 740 million litres per day (MLD) of treated water to Nagpur from Totladoh reservoir and Kanhan river. If implemented, a 10% reduction would translate into 74 MLD less water per day.Instead of reducing the overall quantity immediately, NMC is considering rationalising distribution by cutting the number of hours water is supplied. The proposed approach could allow NMC to regulate consumption. The impact on different localities would depend on how the system is implemented.A senior official said the final decision is likely to depend on the water stock position and the outcome of ongoing conservation efforts.The challenge for NMC is substantial. Around 259 MLD, nearly 35% of the city’s daily supply, is classified as non-revenue water (NRW), including losses through leakages and unauthorised connections. Superintending engineer Shweta Banerjee had earlier claimed that the civic body saved 300 million litres over six days through measures such as plugging leakages and converting illegal connections into legal ones.However, NMC is yet to form dedicated squads to curb the misuse of potable water, even as it has appealed to citizens to avoid using treated drinking water for washing vehicles and cleaning roads.If conservation efforts fail to deliver the expected results, residents could face shorter supply hours or a direct cut from Nov.
About The Author
