NMC standing committee clears 438-metre Kanhan-Kolar barrage to meet Nagpur's rising water demand

A major step has been taken to meet Nagpur's growing population and its drinking water needs in the coming years. The standing committee of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation on Monday formally approved the proposal for the Kanhan-Kolar barrage at its meeting. The project has received the committee's green signal.

According to the proposal, the barrage is to be built downstream of the confluence of the Kolar and Kanhan rivers. Its proposed length is 438 metres.

The reason behind the proposal is the city's water demand. Nagpur's current annual water requirement is 246.01 million cubic metres (MCM). The population is growing fast, and so is per capita water consumption, so demand will rise sharply in the years ahead. The city's water demand is expected to double by 2053.

To meet this growing demand, it has become essential to create new and alternative water storage capacity in addition to the existing sources. The Kanhan-Kolar barrage will give the city a strong alternative source of water.

At present, Nagpur's water supply depends mainly on the Pench project. Two major pumping systems are in operation to lift raw water from Pench and bring it to the city. Of these, Navegaon Khairi has a capacity of 520 MLD (million litres per day), while Kanhan has a capacity of 240 MLD.

The raw water brought by these pumping stations is treated at the city's water treatment plants (WTPs). Water is then supplied across the city through main balancing reservoirs, overhead tanks and ground-level reservoirs.