Nagpur: Barely a month after inspecting Futala Musical Fountain project, French technical expert Basile is likely to return to Nagpur again by July 18 as restoration work moves to the next phase.Senior MahaMetro officials confirmed that preparations are underway for his visit. During the upcoming visit, the expert will assess the installation of the specialised components and pumps and examine the progress made since his last inspection and guide the execution team on the remaining work.Officials said procurement of the specialised pump components has also progressed substantially. Orders for most of the components have already been placed and majority of the consignments are expected to reach Nagpur before the French expert’s arrival. Once the material reaches the site, installation and testing can be taken up under his supervision.Sources in MahaMetro also confirmed that a member of the Indian consultancy team associated with the project is currently in France coordinating the next phase of restoration with the French experts. Sources said the ongoing discussions have helped firm up the tentative schedule for Basile’s visit.Officials associated with the project said the latest visit is expected to focus on integrating the newly procured components with the existing fountain system and reviewing the condition of the pumping infrastructure before the project moves to the next phase of restoration.Over the past few weeks, work has continued on laying the specialised cable network, which forms the electrical backbone of the musical fountain. Trenching, cable laying and associated civil works have progressed simultaneously, while structural work on the project’s signature artificial banyan tree has also advanced.The Futala Musical Fountain project had remained stalled for nearly two years after critical electrical infrastructure deteriorated during the prolonged shutdown. Since MahaMetro took over the restoration, work has been progressing in phases, beginning with replacement of specialised cables, refurbishment of electrical systems and assessment of mechanical components with the skeleton banyan tree structure ready.
