Nagpur: With reservoir storage levels running low and concerns over a possible 10% water cut amid the deficient rainfall situation, Nagpur is looking at a Rs952.32 crore Kolar-Kanhan barrage to strengthen its long-term water security.The proposal has been submitted to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for administrative approval. The project, prepared on the basis of Water Resources Department (WRD) estimate, envisages a 438-metre-long barrage on Kanhan river in Kamptee taluka.Currently, Nagpur city receives 740 MLD of water daily. Of this, 520 MLD is supplied through Pench-I, II, III and IV water treatment plants, while 220 MLD is supplied through Kanhan water treatment plant.The project document possessed by TOI identifies the site as being on Kanhan river near Bina village, in Nagpur district. The barrage will have a gross storage capacity of 67.88 million cubic metres (MCM), including 67.81 MCM of live storage and 0.0697 MCM of dead storage. The proposed structure will have a maximum height of 13.023 metres at the gorge.The project has been designed to cater to multiple water utilisations. The project document lists 65.710 MCM for Kanhan Water Works, 44.934 MCM for the Kolar-Kanhan Barrage and 68.957 MCM for Rohan/Rohana water supply by NMC, taking the total utilisation to 179.601 MCM.Central Designs Organisation (CDO), Nashik, has prepared the detailed project report (DPR) and design of the barrage and submitted them to NMC. WRD has prepared the estimated project cost of Rs952.32 crore based on the 2022-23 CSR. The barrage is proposed to be constructed by the irrigation department.Executive engineer, water works, Shrikant Waikar, said the funding arrangement would be decided after administrative approval. “After the approval, it will be decided who will spend the funds for the project,” he said.The ownership of the water would also depend on the funding arrangement. If NMC spends on the project, including with govt assistance, it would own the barrage water, Waikar said. This could have financial implications for the civic body as NMC currently pays Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) for pumping water.The proposed barrage assumes significance as NMC does not currently have a reservoir of its own. With the city facing growing water demand and uncertainty over rainfall, creating storage closer to the city’s water-supply system could provide an additional buffer during summer and drought-like conditions.The project will, however, require substantial land. According to the project document, 1,206.960 hectares will be required, including 990.646 hectares of govt land, 198.266 hectares of private land and 18.048 hectares of forest land. The total area proposed to come under submergence up to the full reservoir level is 1,198.42 hectares. Juni Kamptee has been identified as the affected village.The technical design envisages 16 barrage bays and eight undersluice bays, with each opening 15 metres wide. The barrage will have vertical-lift gates. The design discharge is 22,443 cumecs. The full reservoir/pond level has been fixed at RL 281 metres, while the high flood level is RL 282 metres.The project also has a historical connection with Nagpur’s water infrastructure. The civic body has had a barrage on Kanhan river in the past, with the structure associated with renowned engineer Sir M Visvesvaraya. The latest proposal seeks to create a substantially larger and more strategically important storage facility for Nagpur’s future water requirements.
