Nagpur: While the much-publicised musical fountain at Futala Lake remains stuck in a cycle of delays and technical setbacks, a more grounded and steadily progressing project at Gandhisagar in Central Nagpur is beginning to draw attention — not for its scale, but for its execution. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), through its electrical department, has initiated work on a musical fountain at Gandhisagar with a sanctioned budget of Rs3.88 crore. The project is part of a larger rejuvenation and beautification plan for the historic lake and its adjoining gardens, funded under a Rs48 crore grant from the state govt. Unlike Futala, where multiple agencies have struggled to coordinate, Gandhisagar’s development is being handled in a more streamlined manner by the civic body. NMC’s executive engineer (electrical) Rajendra Rathore said preliminary groundwork has begun, including planning for electrical infrastructure and fountain design, with an emphasis on ensuring fewer technical complications during execution. Even installation of infrastructure of the fountain has started some fortnight ago. A Noida-based company has been entrusted with the job and a time period of 120 days has been allotted to complete the work. According to Rathore, the work will complete by June end. The project aims to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the lake while creating a functional public space for residents in the densely populated central parts of the city. The contrast with Futala could not be sharper. The ambitious floating musical fountain project there — handled by Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) and later MahaMetro — has been mired in disputes, delays and damage to key components, leaving a multi-crore investment lying idle. Years after its announcement, the project is yet to become operational, raising serious concerns over planning and accountability. In comparison, Gandhisagar’s relatively modest scale appears to be working in its favour. Civic officials believe that focusing on phased implementation, rather than a large, complex system, will help avoid the pitfalls seen at Futala. The inclusion of the fountain within a broader lake rejuvenation plan — instead of as a standalone attraction — is also being seen as a more sustainable approach. Urban observers note that Gandhisagar could emerge as a model for practical urban development, where smaller, well-executed projects deliver tangible benefits to citizens without getting entangled in bureaucratic or technical gridlocks.
