Nagpur: The state govt has lifted the restrictions on digging borewells in Nagpur district for areas where watering fruit-bearing trees, particularly orange and sweet lime, is essential to save the plantations. The district collector is expected to issue detailed guidelines after Diwali vacations.
TOI has earlier reported that the city once had 13 lakes, of which Sanjay Gandhi Lake and Dobi Lake have effectively disappeared from the official inventory of Nagpur Municipal Corporation. The civic body’s records now recognise only 11 surviving lakes within city limits, and these include Ambazari, Futala, Sonegaon, Pandharabodi, Police Line Takli, Binaki Mangalwari, Naik, Gorewada, Sakkardara, Lendi Talao and Gandhi Sagar lakes. T otladoh holds only 25% water Water storage in Nagpur’s two key reservoirs continues to remain a concern, with Totladoh holding just 257.61 million cubic metres (MCM) of live water on Nov 11, accounting for only 25.33% of its designed live storage capacity of 1,016.93 MCM. Last year, the reservoir was at 89.5% of its live storage capacity. Kamthi Khairi reservoir, meanwhile, has 113.72 MCM of live storage against its designed capacity of 141.98 MCM, translating into 80.10% storage. Its storage was 85.49% on the same date last year.
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Guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule Wednesday said the decision was aimed at preventing the trees from drying up amid drought . “The govt wanted to ensure adequate water availability,” he said and added that a similar measure would be taken in Amravati district. Ruling out releasing water from the reservoir for rabi crops, he said there was no question of diverting drinking water for irrigation. The minister also said the govt had reduced water reservation for Koradi and Khaparkheda thermal power stations, which are now being operated with treated sewage water. Referring to the city’s lakes and other water bodies, Bawankule said two meetings have already been held to discuss their conservation. Invoking the efforts of the Bhonsle rulers, who had developed water sources to ensure drinking water for Nagpur, he said, “Those who want to prevent drought in Nagpur must come forward to protect its water bodies.
The administration would issue directions to regulate the process and ensure that groundwater levels are improved. On Nagpur’s drinking water situation, the minister assured citizens that adequate arrangements had been made to ensure that water from Totladoh reservoir lasts for the next eight months. He urged citizens not to discharge sewage or drain water into public water bodies. Every drop of water needs to be conserved. He added that desilting and deepening of lakes were also necessary to improve their storage capacity. Download the TOI App.