Nagpur: Anticipating water scarcity following a deficient monsoon this year, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has decided not to use potable water to fill its 447 artificial immersion tanks across the city.Municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar said the civic body has directed all 10 zones to use well water for these tanks. Barring the Kachhivisa permanent tank, NMC will pump water from adjoining lakes into the other permanent immersion tanks.NMC supplies around 750 million litres per day (MLD) to the city from the Pench and Kanhan systems. Officials said using treated drinking water for idol immersion would place an avoidable burden on water resources at a time when rainfall has been deficient.Of the 447 artificial tanks planned, 443 have a capacity of about four lakh litres each; filling them to capacity would require nearly 16 crore litres of water. Executive engineer (Water Works) Shrikant Waikar said assistant municipal commissioners in all 10 zones have been instructed to identify available wells for this purpose.NMC has also made arrangements at six permanent concrete immersion tanks at Gorewada, Police Line Takli Lake, Kacchivisa, Sonegaon, Gandhisagar and Koradi Lake. The water source will vary according to the location. The Koradi tank will be filled from the adjacent lake, while the Sonegaon, Gandhisagar and Police Line Takli Lake tanks will use nearby water bodies. At Gorewada, four borewells will be used to fill the large tank, said chief sanitation officer (SWM) Dr Gajendra Mahalle.The civic body said the decision was prompted by concerns over low rainfall in the district and the impact of El Nino conditions. With thousands of idols expected to be immersed during the festival, NMC wants to keep treated water reserved for domestic consumption.The artificial tanks, set up at multiple locations, are meant to decentralise immersion activity and reduce pressure on natural water bodies. Zonal offices will oversee their filling and management through the immersion period.Officials said the arrangement would let NMC meet the requirements of the Ganesh festival without diverting treated water from the city’s drinking water supply network.
