NAGPUR: Even as large parts of the city face water shortage in rainy season, thousands of litres of water are being wasted every day due to sheer apathy of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) officials and junior staffers. One will be shocked to know that tankers, which are filled up in the morning, discharge the water on the footpaths in the evening if they do not go on call that day. Even more shocking is the fact that some NMC officials admit this fact and offer lame excuses for this criminal wastage.

At some places, water is flowing out on the drains or on the road. Perhaps the biggest wastage is near Loha Pul, Sitabuldi. Two to three litres are flowing out on the road every minute and locals say that it has been going on since years.

N L Sawarkar of Jansamasya Nivaran Sangharsh Samiti said NMC has claimed that 24X7 project would stop wastage of water. However, the officials were not bothered about wastage that was visible to everybody. "We had identified seven spots where pipelines had leakages. At three locations - in front of University, Gandhi Nagar NMC school and Law College Square - repair work was done last week because of our initiative. However, the complaints of individual citizens were ignored for months."

At Laxmi Nagar overhead tank hose pipes and hydrants are used to fill up the tankers. Tankers overflow for minutes and water keeps flowing from hydrants as the NMC staffers are busy gossiping. Nearby residents say that many times tanker drivers empty their tanks in the evening if they do not get a call during the day.

Subhashchandra Jaideo, Laxmi Nagar zone officer, said that he had reprimanded the valve operators for wasting water. "I guess I will have to be more strict with them." On tanker drivers emptying their tanks, he said that it was possible that this happened on holidays.

Laxmi Nagar zone chairman Gopal Bohre said that he too had seen water being wasted and had pulled up the officials last week. "They have sought eight days' time to install a state-of-the-art valve, which would close down automatically once the tanker is filled up."

Congress corporator from Jaitala, Praful Gudadhe said that on one hand his ward was not getting water and NMC officials were wasting water.

Laxmi Nagar tank is not the only place where such wastage is taking place. TOI had earlier witnessed such wastage at Sugat Nagar, Wanjari Nagar and Mhalgi Nagar tanks. These are only a few examples. The situation is more or less the same everywhere, sources in NMC said. "Many times the inlet of the tanker is not aligned and water from the hydrant falls on the tanker wall too."

TOI found criminal wastage of water at three places

Laxmi Nagar zone office tank: A tanker (MH-24/A3529) was overflowing and water was flowing into a ditch up 100 feet from the tanker. This continued for five to six minutes before the hose pipe was removed. NMC has dug the ditch as an outlet for the 'waste water'. A hydrant was not closed and locals were filling up their buckets.

Sitabuldi Loha Pul: For last many years, large quantity of water flows out of hole over the footpath and then towards the railway underbridge. A bucket of water is wasted every two to three minutes. Some eatery owners use this water.

Behind NIT office, Kasturba Layout, Ambazari: Water has been flowing into a drain for eight months. A resident Ajay Jichkar had complained many times, but in vain.