Nagpur: A Rs27.79 crore stormwater disposal project undertaken by Public Works Department (PWD) at Padole Chowk remains incomplete, even as the area continues to face waterlogging during heavy rain, raising questions over the effectiveness of the flood-mitigation infrastructure being created there.An RTI reply obtained from PWD’s World Bank Project Division shows that Rs18.36 crore has been spent on the project so far, leaving work worth about Rs9.43 crore pending. The department has fixed December 31, 2026, as the deadline for completion.The documents given in the RTI reply to Abhay Kolarkar reveal that the project includes a pumping system costing Rs7.44 crore, which has been operational since May 6, 2025. PWD has also laid 159 pipes of 600mm diameter, covering about 953.77 metres.Yet Padole Chowk continues to figure prominently among Nagpur’s waterlogging hotspots. NMC’s post-flood assessment following the July 28, 2026, deluge identified Padole Chowk as a hotspot in Laxmi Nagar zone, citing low-lying terrain, poor drainage, overflowing nullahs and ongoing utility works among the factors contributing to flooding.The July 28 rainfall also saw Padole Square and several parts of South-West Nagpur submerged, with commuters reportedly stranded for hours.TOI had earlier reported that the stretch between Padole Hospital Square and Radhe Mangalam Chowk on Inner Ring Road had repeatedly faced waterlogging. PWD officials had attributed the problem to the collapse of the old stormwater network and the area’s low-lying, ‘saucer’ topography. In fact, Padole Square has been identified as a waterlogging-prone location for several years.The RTI reply also reveals a significant gap between the pumping component and the larger drainage project. While the pumping system has been functioning since May 2025, the overall project is yet to be completed.PWD said no World Bank funding was received specifically for the project, despite the work being executed through its World Bank Project Division.The RTI applicant had also sought details on the system’s failure to drain rainwater after rainfall. The department did not provide information on that query, stating that the date cited in the application — July 28, 2027 — was a future date.
