Rs2,030 Crore Spent, But 24x7 Water A Pipe Dream Nagpur: Nearly 14 years after the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) launched its ambitious 24x7 water supply project, the promise of uninterrupted drinking water remains largely unfulfilled despite spending over Rs2,030 crore. The civic body has also admitted to multiple shortcomings in the project's implementation. Information submitted by NMC to the state legislature in response to a starred question by MLA Pravin Datke exposed persistent deficiencies in the city's water distribution system and raised fresh questions over the functioning of Orange City Water (OCW), the private operator entrusted with the project since 2012. The civic body clarified that, contrary to the often-cited expenditure of Rs3,250 crore, actual payments made to OCW till October 2025 stand at Rs2,030 crore. This includes Rs386 crore spent under the Initial Performance Improvement Programme (IPIP) and Rs1,644 crore towards operation, maintenance, repairs and replacement works. Yet residents across all 10 zones continue to grapple with erratic supply, low water pressure, leakages, contaminated water, and disputed bills. NMC acknowledged receiving complaints about polluted water and faulty meter readings. While officials found no abnormal billing pattern in Dharampeth zone, inflated bills were detected in Gandhibagh and Satranjipura. The disputed bills were subsequently withdrawn, and discrepancies were rectified. The disclosures also reveal significant delays in infrastructure upgrades. OCW was expected to begin rehabilitation and replacement (R&R) works in 2012, including the replacement of ageing pipelines and water meters. However, the exercise reportedly commenced only in April 2019, seven years behind schedule.#gandhibagh_zone #nagpur_municipal_corporation #dharampeth_zone #orange_city_water #pravin_datke
Nagpur Identifies 278 Dilapidated Buildings, Demolishes Only 67 Before Monsoon With the monsoon season approaching Nagpur, hundreds of families living in or near unsafe structures continue to face significant risks. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has identified 278 dilapidated buildings and houses across the city for the 2025-26 fiscal year, but only 67 have been demolished so far. Data compiled by the civic body’s fire and emergency services department highlights that a large number of hazardous structures remain standing, raising concerns over public safety during the rainy season. The highest concentration of unsafe buildings was reported in Gandhibagh zone, where 137 structures were declared hazardous. However, only 21 have been demolished, while action remains pending in 108 cases and four appeals are under consideration, according to information shared by Chief Fire Officer Tushar Barahte. Sataranjipura zone recorded the most extensive enforcement, with 23 of the 30 identified structures demolished. In contrast, Ashi Nagar and Mangalwari zones, where 13 and 10 unsafe buildings were identified respectively, have reported neither demolition nor issuance of notices. Dharampeth zone identified 17 dangerous structures and demolished six, while four houses were vacated as a precaution. Dhantoli zone razed nine of its 21 unsafe buildings. In Nehru Nagar, only two demolitions have been carried out despite 14 structures being declared dilapidated, while 11 have undergone repairs. Officials stated that delays in several cases are due to court proceedings, ownership disputes, and non-compliance by property owners. Activists have raised concerns about whether the pace of enforcement is sufficient to prevent potential building collapses and safeguard residents.#gandhibagh_zone #nagpur_municipal_corporation #nmc #sataranjipura_zone #tushar_barahte
Gandhibagh Zone Inaction Slows Fire Response in Nagpur A critical administrative failure has emerged in Nagpur’s municipal operations after the fire department highlighted severe access issues at a temporarily relocated fire station, raising alarms about emergency preparedness in a densely populated commercial area. The Ganjipeth Fire Station, which was moved to a vacant municipal school building near Model Mill Chowk in the Gadikhana area, faces operational challenges due to restrictive entry conditions. In a March 11 letter, station officer S Sayyed informed the assistant municipal commissioner that the main gate of the premises is too narrow for fire engines to navigate, forcing three firefighting vehicles to remain parked outside the compound. This has compromised the station’s ability to respond swiftly to emergencies. Despite repeated requests from the fire department to widen the gate and remove a road divider blocking access, the Gandhibagh zone office has taken no action. The urgency of the situation became evident on Sunday when a fire broke out at a two-storey building in the Handloom Market complex within the Gandhibagh area. The blaze, which started around 1pm, destroyed the office of advocate Shrichand Kundwani, damaging computers and furniture. While residents and traders managed to prevent the fire from spreading, the response required coordination from multiple stations. Station officer Sayyed and his team arrived at the scene, but additional fire tenders had to be dispatched from the Cotton Market and Civil Lines stations due to local congestion. Local leaders, including corporator Sanjay Balpande and BJP city president Dayashankar Tiwari, visited the site to assess the damage.#shrichand_kundwani #sanjay_balpande #dayashankar_tiwari #gandhibagh_zone #ganjipeth_fire_station
