NAGPUR: Since the last seven years, sewage has been pouring into
Gorewada lake which supplies water to 70% areas of the city. Yet, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation
(NMC) has been completely unaware of it. It was only after several
complaints by the BJP corporator from Dhaba, Jagdish Gwalbanshi, that
the NMC officials decided to act.

The exact level of water
contamination is not known but the quantity is quite high as only sewage
flows through Khadak Nullah which brings in pollutants from several
unauthorized layouts upstream. Gorewada lake gets its water from four
streams and the Totladoh reservoir. It is then treated at four water
treatment plants before being released for consumption. What’s alarming
is that the plants are meant for only purifying potable water and not
for sewage treatment.

“Without realizing, we have been consuming
sewage water too,” said Gwalbanshi who has been trying to escalate the
problem with the NMC since 1997. “Constructions have taken place over
the years and since the last seven years, the problem has gone from bad
to worse.”

Finally, on Friday, a team of officials from NMC and Nagpur Improvement Trust, led by mayor Anil Sole and NIT chairman Praveen Darade,
visited the spot where the nullah meets the lake. Sole tried to
downplay the seriousness of the issue. “It’s not very serious but
requires immediate measures,” said the mayor.

A walk along parts
of Khadak Nullah from its current origin at Sonba Nagar to the
catchment area of Gorewada lake reveals that the area has been
completely neglected by the NMC. The nullah is 3-4 metres wide at Sonba
Nagar and was supposedly a natural water stream that used to flow from
the mountains close by.

Sonba Nagar, situated near Lava village
which is about 15km from here, is witnessing dramatic development since
the last seven years. Since there is no sewage system, the water simply
flows into Khadak Nullah. It widens after collecting more sewage from
Suyog Layout, Tekdiwadi and Palandurkar Layout.

There is one
sewage tank constructed at Suyog Layout and four more downstream. All
five are in pathetic condition with sewage continuously pouring into the
nullah.

Development is taking place at a frenetic pace between
Suyog Layout and Sumantai Wasnik Institute of Nursing. In coming days,
sewage from here too is expected to fall into the nullah. Finally, after
going under Katol Road near the toll tax booth, the nullah enters
Gorewada lake, carrying huge pollutants.

According to urban
infrastructure norms, the sewage lines from Sonba Nagar, Suyog Layout,
Tekdiwadi and Palandurkar Layout should have been connected to a trunk
which would have then carried the filthy water up to Dhaba and Bor
Nullah and away from Gorewada Lake.

The current sorry state of
affairs would not have arisen had the NMC regularly monitored the
streams that bring water into Gorewada lake. NMC’s executive engineer Shashikant Hastak was not available for comments despite repeated attempts.

A senior NMC official told TOI that the water works department collects
samples from the lake every month to test its quality. “No report of
any high contamination of water has ever been reported,” he said. The
official also claimed that it’s not the responsibility of the water
works department to monitor the streams.

Sole said that the NMC
and NIT would now prepare a joint plan to construct a sewage system that
would take the polluted water to Bor Nullah so that Khadak Nullah
remains unpolluted.

Dirty Flow

* The Khadak Nullah originates from Sonba Nagar and flows into Gorewada after collecting sewage water along the way

* Sewage tanks built along the way are in extremely poor condition

* Several new constructions coming at an alarming rate will only increase the pollution in Khadak Nullah

* Despite complaints, the NMC has failed to act for seven years

* The NMC and NIT to prepare joint plan to reduce the damage