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.