Nagpur: Going beyond contractual obligations, a city-based contractor has constructed two rainwater harvesting chambers while executing a 140-metre cement concrete road worth Rs28.72 lakh at Manish Layout near the Airport compound wall and Priyadarshini College in Prabhag 36.Prashant Thakre, proprietor of a private construction firm, said the recharge chambers were neither included in the original estimate nor part of the bill of quantities. Citing the need to conserve groundwater for future generations, he said he undertook the work voluntarily.A farmer himself, Thakre said he was inspired by standing committee chairperson Shivani Dani-Wakhare’s appeal to contractors executing civic projects to incorporate rainwater conservation measures.The initiative mirrors a larger effort by the NMC, which integrated rainwater harvesting structures into roads developed under the Rs260-crore fourth phase of its cement road programme. The civic body had described it as Maharashtra’s first such initiative by a municipal corporation, with most Phase IV roads now nearing completion.The system is designed to capture stormwater runoff from the concretised road and channel it into recharge chambers through a network of pipes. The chambers contain graded aggregates, with a base layer of 40-mm metal topped by layers of 6-mm, 10-mm and 20-mm aggregates. Since the chamber floor remains unpaved, filtered water gradually percolates into the soil, helping recharge underground aquifers.With large-scale road concretisation reducing permeable surfaces across the city, experts have emphasised the need to integrate groundwater recharge systems into urban infrastructure projects. Though modest in scale, the Manish Layout initiative demonstrates how contractors can voluntarily adopt sustainable practices beyond their contractual responsibilities.INFOBOX | HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS• Road runoff collection: Rainwater from the road enters the recharge chamber through an inlet pipe.• Primary filtration: A layer of 40-mm metal traps sediments and creates spaces for water movement.• Secondary filtration: A mix of 6-mm, 10-mm and 20-mm aggregates further filters the water.• Permeable base: The chamber floor has not been concretised, allowing water to seep naturally into the ground.• Groundwater recharge: Filtered rainwater gradually percolates underground, helping replenish aquifers.AT A GLANCELocation: Manish Layout, near Priyadarshini College, SonegaonRoad length: 140 metresCost of road work: Rs28.72 lakhRecharge chambers constructed: 2Part of sanctioned work: NoInspiration: Appeal by Standing Committee Chairperson Shivani Dani-WakhareObjective: Groundwater recharge and rainwater conservation for future generations.
