Nagpur: Even as allegations of sewage inflow into Gorewada Lake escalate, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has denied any contamination, stating after an on-site inspection that the reservoir is not being used for supply and meets all water quality norms.Water supply committee chairperson Divya Dhurde, along with deputy chairperson Vijay Zalke, superintending engineer Shweta Banerjee and executive engineer Shrikant Waikar, inspected Gorewada Lake and the Pench I, II and III water treatment plants on Tuesday. Officials informed the panel that key indicators such as low biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), absence of ammonia and a stable aquatic ecosystem show no signs of sewage mixing.Dhurde said Gorewada is currently not being used for drinking water supply and serves only as an emergency backup source. “Visual inspection and available reports indicate that water quality remains within permissible limits,” she said. Fresh samples were collected in the presence of committee members for detailed physico-chemical analysis.A technical report comparing data from 2019 to 2026 also dismissed recent allegations as “baseless”. According to the report, BOD levels are around 1.5mg/l, below the 2mg/l benchmark for clean water, while ammonia — a direct indicator of sewage — was not detected. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) stood at 15mg/l, significantly lower than the permissible 50-250mg/l range.Officials added that dissolved oxygen levels of around 5mg/l support aquatic life, with multiple fish species observed in the lake — an indicator of a healthy ecosystem. The pH level was recorded at 8.27 and total dissolved solids (TDS) at 198mg/l, both within safe limits.The civic body’s claims come amid sharp political criticism. Congress corporator Shailesh Pandey alleged that sewage from Dabha area is being discharged into the lake and claimed to have caught the NMC drawing water from the same source. Even on April 11, Banerjee admitted that NMC draws water from the lake. The allegations also put the spotlight on an earlier statement by Banerjee in the general body meeting on March 20, where she acknowledged sewage inflow into the lake while maintaining that no water was being lifted for supply.Opposition members have questioned the civic administration’s stand, alleging contradictions and demanding accountability. Despite this, NMC officials maintained that there is no evidence of contamination and said continuous monitoring of the lake is being carried out to ensure water safety.
