NAGPUR: Several localities in east, north and parts of south Nagpur are still facing severe water shortage, despite assurances given by Nagpur
Municipal Corporation's water supply department that water woes in these areas would be solved by Wednesday. Recently, municipal commissioner Aseem Gupta had been pulled up by corporators and citizens from north and east Nagpur for the perennial water shortage in these areas. They had also blasted the frequent breakdowns and maintenance works undertaken by the water supply department leading to curtailed supply.
NMC water supply department executive engineer Shashikant Hastak had said on Monday that, "Due to accumulation of sand near the old intake well at Kanhan pumping station, which supplies 120 million litres per day (MLD) to North and East Nagpur localities, water was flowing in the opposite direction. This had led to a breakdown in the new raw water pumping station. We have almost completed the repairing work and consumers will start receiving regular water supply by Wednesday."
However, on Thursday ruling BJP corporator from Harihar Nagar and standing committee member Narendra (Balya) Borkar slammed the water supply department for the entire water crisis. Borkar said, "Executive engineer Hastak has misled the water supply committee chairman Pravin Datke on the water shortage issue. Since last 15 days the residents of Satranjipura zone have not received a single drop of water from NMC. Further, the private company Veolia is handling maintenance of Kanhan pumping station. So they should be held responsible for the problem."
NCP leader in NMC Vedprakash Arya said that BJP leaders and water supply department have been issuing hollow assurances about solving the water problem for the last two years. However, the fact is that the problem has only aggravated. Since the last 15 days, residents from North, East and South Nagpur have been facing acute water shortage. If the problem is not solved then NCP corporators will lock NMC headquarters to demand regular water supply in these areas, Arya warned.