Nagpur: With Gosikhurd dam holding 96.74% of its designed live storage, while reservoirs supplying drinking water to Nagpur hold significantly less, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is dusting off its earlier plan to bring water from Vidarbha’s largest dam to the city through a pipeline.As on Oct 4, Gosikhurd had 715.41 Mcum of live storage against its designed live storage of 740.17 Mcum. In contrast, Totladoh, one of Nagpur’s key drinking-water sources, contained only 527.57 Mcum against its designed live storage of 1,016.93 Mcum, leaving it at just 50.52% capacity.Kamthi Khairy fared better, with 111.36 Mcum of live storage against a designed capacity of 141.98 Mcum, translating to 78.16% storage.NMC currently draws water from Totladoh and Kamthi Khairy. The disparity in storage has prompted mayor Neeta Thakre to explore reviving the proposal to make Gosikhurd an alternative source for the city.“NMC was examining the feasibility of reviving the earlier plan to connect Gosikhurd to Nagpur through a pipeline. A proposal will be submitted to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and state revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule,” she told TOI.Officials said the project could potentially be implemented by extending the existing pipeline network. A pipeline already connects Gosikhurd to Mouda, and NMC is exploring the possibility of laying the remaining stretch from Mouda to Nagpur. The total distance between Gosikhurd and Nagpur is more than 50 km.Earlier estimates had pegged the project cost at around Rs500 crore. A fresh feasibility study will be required to assess the current cost, pipeline alignment, pumping requirements, capacity of the existing Gosikhurd-Mouda pipeline and its integration with Nagpur’s water-treatment and distribution network.The Gosikhurd proposal had earlier been pursued by Vidarbha Taxpayers Association (VTA), which submitted it to Union minister Nitin Gadkari and sought govt intervention to lay a pipeline to Nagpur.The mayor held a review meeting on the city’s water scenario on Saturday evening, where officials assessed reservoir stocks, the sustainability of the present supply and measures needed to conserve water.Thakre said NMC would simultaneously focus on conservation. The civic body will assess how long the available stock can sustain the city at the current supply rate and discourage wastage of treated drinking water, including its use at washing centres where alternative sources are available.NMC is also preparing a two-year water-management strategy. Municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar has directed officials to assess consumption by residential, commercial and bulk consumers to determine the city’s actual requirement and plan supplies accordingly.
