Gangapur dam- the major source of drinking water for the Nashik city
She said the civic administration would take into account the available water stock in the dam, Nashik’s drinking water requirements and additional water needed for 2027 Simhastha Kumbh Mela before taking a final call on 10% cut. Meanwhile, NMC has announced a citywide water supply shutdown on Oct 24 to test the newly laid 12-km pipeline from Gangapur dam to Bara Bungalow water treatment plant. The civic body expects the shutdown to save around 620 million litres of water that day.
Aher said the proposed cut is being considered despite adequate water storage in Gangapur dam, keeping in mind the drought situation prevailing across Maharashtra. A final decision will be taken after a review with the civic administration, she said. The mayor said the issue of water cuts was discussed at the last general body meeting following the state govt’s directives. However, with the project likely to be delayed and drought conditions prevailing in the district and parts of the state, Aher said a decision on the proposed cut has become necessary.
At the time, it was decided that the cut would be considered after completion of work on water treatment plant in Panchavati.
NMC has submitted a proposal to the district administration seeking 8,005 MCFT of water for reservation cycle from Oct 15, 2026, to Aug 31, 2027, factoring in the city’s regular requirements as well as additional demand expected during Kumbh Mela. The proposed quota is 1,605 MCFT, or around 25%, higher than the 6,400 MCFT allocated to the civic body during 2025-26 reservation cycle. A meeting to be chaired by district guardian minister Girish Mahajan is expected to be held next week to finalise water allocations for NMC, other civic bodies and authorities.