Days after a planned 36-hour shutdown at the Pench-IV Water Treatment Plant extended beyond 60 hours and disrupted water supply across Nagpur, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is considering another shutdown on October 12. The proposed interruption aims to complete pending pipeline welding and leak repairs, but the prospect of fresh cuts has intensified concerns over planning, supervision, and accountability within the civic body.
The previous shutdown, which began at 10:00 AM on October 6, was initially scheduled to conclude by 10:00 PM on October 7. It involved interconnecting two 1,400-mm-diameter pipelines near Mankapur Nallah for the Pench-IV feeder, a project managed by the World Bank Division of the state Public Works Department (PWD). However, delays left 20 command areas dry, forcing residents to rely on borewells and water cans. Even after supply resumed, multiple localities reported low pressure and contaminated water.
The prolonged outage drew sharp criticism over delayed public updates and coordination gaps in the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department. Following heavy backlash from corporators, Deputy Mayor Leela Hathibed made a late-night inspection visit on Thursday, expressing strong displeasure. Mayor Neeta Thakre also pulled up Superintending Engineer Shweta Banerjee, directing the PHE department to review the city’s water infrastructure and submit a detailed report.
Although temporary repairs allowed water supply to resume, permanent welding and leak-proofing remain incomplete, forcing the NMC to weigh a new shutdown on October 12. Meanwhile, residents in north Nagpur, Nara, Manewada, and Balaji Nagar continue to face irregular supply and poor water quality. Citizens are now demanding accountability over the missed deadlines and concrete assurances that future infrastructural projects will be managed with better efficiency. Stay
