HC asks NMC to decide Gorewada lake pollution plea in six weeks The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to examine and decide within six weeks a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging the discharge of untreated sewage into Gorewada Lake. The court, comprising Justices Anil S Kilor and Raj D Wakode, instructed the civic body to treat the petition as a representation and resolve the reliefs sought strictly in accordance with the law. The PIL, filed by corporator Shailesh Pande, claimed that untreated sewage was being released into the lake, causing irreversible environmental damage, harming aquatic life, and posing risks to public health. The petitioner sought immediate measures, including the installation of sewage treatment and pollution-control systems to protect the lake’s ecosystem. The court ordered the petitioner to submit copies of the PIL and the order to the NMC within a week, while the civic body was directed to communicate its final decision to the petitioner within two weeks. This directive comes amid ongoing concerns about the lake’s condition, which has been extensively reported by The Times of India (TOI) over the past two months. Investigations by TOI revealed that sewage-laden streams carrying plastic and domestic waste were entering the lake through a concealed route behind the Gorewada International Zoo, contradicting earlier claims that pollution originated from Dabha. TOI also reported that the NMC had extracted over 9,300 million litres of water from Gorewada in 2025 despite laboratory findings indicating bacteriological contamination. Civic officials defended the reservoir as an emergency backup source, asserting that water supplied to consumers undergoes treatment.#times_of_india #bombay_high_court #nagpur_municipal_corporation #gorewada_lake #shailesh_pande
Mayor Orders Audit into River Cleaning Works Amid Corruption Charges Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has come under scrutiny as allegations of financial irregularities in its river and drain desilting projects have prompted Mayor Neeta Thakre to order a comprehensive audit. The move follows claims of large-scale corruption, favoritism in contract allocation, and collusion between contractors and civic officials. Thakre emphasized that strict action would be taken against those found guilty, while also announcing plans to adopt a policy modeled on Mumbai and Pune for the scientific use of silt and waste generated during the annual desilting process. The controversy emerged during a Question Hour session when NCP corporator Abha Pande raised concerns about the project’s management. She alleged that the NMC had engaged in corrupt practices worth crores of rupees, with contractors receiving inflated payments based on questionable measurements of silt. Pande highlighted discrepancies in official data, noting that silt removal declined from 10,175 metric tonnes in 2021 to 7,160 metric tonnes in 2023 before surging to 12,822 metric tonnes in 2025. She described the sharp increase as “suspicious” and demanded an independent audit, along with the formation of a three-member inquiry committee to investigate the matter. Pande further accused the NMC of billing irregularities, citing evidence that machinery usage was recorded at up to 20 hours a day—an “impractical” figure used to inflate costs. She also pointed to inadequate records of tipper movement and questioned why Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) resources were not utilized for the project. Despite the expenditure of Rs 5.#nagpur_municipal_corporation #ncp #gorewada_lake #neeta_thakre #abha_pande
Drone survey ordered after joint inspection with MPCB at Gorewada Lake Nagpur: Following allegations of polluted water supply from Gorewada Lake, NMC commissioner Vipin Itankar directed a drone survey and fresh water sampling after a joint inspection with Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) officials. The inspection focused on a stream originating from the Dabha sewage treatment plant (STP) and flowing toward the Gorewada forest area. MPCB officials collected water samples to assess contamination levels, though preliminary findings did not indicate an immediate threat. The civic chief instructed Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) officials to conduct a comprehensive drone survey of the stream’s entire course and collect samples from three distinct locations for further analysis. The inspection followed complaints from corporators regarding water quality issues linked to Gorewada Lake. During the visit, the commissioner inspected key sites, including Vayusena Nagar, the Dabha STP, the Gorewada forest area, Gorewada Lake itself, and several water treatment plants supplying the city. At the 5 MLD Dabha STP, officials noted that only 2 MLD of sewage is currently being treated, raising concerns about underutilization of the facility’s capacity. In Vayusena Nagar, the construction of a weir to divert sewage into the sewer network was reviewed, with NIT officials assuring completion within 15 days. Authorities also emphasized strict enforcement against residents illegally discharging sewage into drains despite having established sewer connections. At Gorewada Lake, officials reiterated that it is no longer a primary water source and is reserved for emergency use, such as during disruptions in supply from Navegaon Khairi.#nagpur_improvement_trust #gorewada_lake #maharashtra_pollution_control_board #nmc_commissioner_vipin_itankar #dabha_sewage_treatment_plant
NMC Drew Over 9,300 Million Liters from Gorewada Lake in 2025 Despite Contamination Red Flags Nagpur’s water management crisis has been laid bare, exposing serious risks to public health and governance as official records reveal erratic extraction patterns and continued reliance on a contaminated source without clear safeguards. In 2025, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) water works department extracted over 9,300 million liters (ML) from Gorewada Lake, despite its own laboratory flagging bacteriological contamination. Documents obtained by The Times of India show that these withdrawals were neither systematic nor aligned with seasonal demand, highlighting deep-seated planning failures. The extraction pattern was highly inconsistent. The highest withdrawals occurred immediately after the monsoon, with September alone accounting for 2,716.07 ML. July saw 2,116.63 ML pumped from the lake, followed by 816.08 ML in August. This concentration during a period when reservoirs are typically replenished suggests a lack of a stable sourcing framework. In contrast, withdrawals dropped to negligible levels in March (2.27 ML) and remained low in October (58.01 ML), despite these being periods when water planning should anticipate demand fluctuations. Even during peak summer stress, the department continued to rely on the lake, extracting 402.43 ML in April and 651.44 ML in June. This fluctuating dependence on Gorewada reflects an ad hoc approach rather than calibrated resource management. The water quality further raises alarms. A November 2025 report from the civic body’s Central Water Testing Laboratory recorded total coliform levels at 350 MPN per 100 ml and E. coli at 22 MPN per 100 ml—clear indicators of sewage or organic contamination. While parameters such as pH (8.#nagpur #the_times_of_india #nagpur_municipal_corporation #gorewada_lake #central_water_testing_laboratory
Mayor Sets April 30 Deadline for Nullah, Drain Desilting Drive Nagpur: Mayor Neeta Thakre directed officials on Wednesday to accelerate the river and drain desilting drive, emphasizing the need to complete all works by April 30. She urged departments to deploy additional manpower and machinery to meet the deadline. During an inspection, Thakre reviewed efforts to clear silt, garbage, and obstructions from drains, river stretches, and ghats to ensure unimpeded water flow. She stressed the importance of removing blockages to prevent waterlogging during the monsoon season. The mayor spent over seven hours touring various parts of the city to assess the situation firsthand. At Trimurti Nagar, she ordered the removal of encroachments by a mutton market along a drain. Thakre also instructed the solid waste management department and assistant commissioners to intensify public awareness campaigns against dumping garbage into drains and rivers. The mayor, accompanied by municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar and senior officials, conducted an extensive joint inspection across multiple zones, including Laxmi Nagar, Dharampeth, Mangalwari, Ashi Nagar, Lakadganj, Nehru Nagar, Gandhi Bagh, and Hanuman Nagar. The inspection team included deputy mayor Leela Hathibed, standing committee chairperson Shivani Dani Wakhare, ruling party leader Narendra Borkar, health committee chairperson Manisha Atkare, additional commissioner Vasumana Pant, chief engineer Manoj Talewar, and other officials. Thakre expressed concern over the spread of water hyacinth in river stretches near Ambazari crematorium and Vivekanand Memorial, instructing officials to take immediate remedial measures. At Gorewada lake, she ordered steps to stop sewage inflow near the Chhath Puja site.#nagpur #mayor_neeta_thakre #municipal_commissioner_vipin_itankar #trimurti_nagar #gorewada_lake
