Totladoh at 34%: NMC weighs 10% water cut for Nagpur as reservoirs fall

Nagpur may soon have to reduce its water supply. Reservoir levels are falling fast, putting pressure on the city's drinking water. The state government has already asked local bodies to cut water consumption by 10%. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is now deciding how big a cut to make, since households could be affected.

Guardian Minister and state Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule will hold a review meeting on Saturday. It will examine the condition of the reservoirs and assess how prepared the city is to deal with the shortfall. Mayor Neeta Thakre has indicated that a decision on the cut will come soon. The administration, however, is looking at how much supply can be reduced without causing people too much hardship.

Thakre said, "The government has issued directions on cutting water supply. Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule will review the situation on Saturday. A decision on the cut will have to be taken, but we are looking at how much of a reduction is possible."

The state government had directed a 10% cut in supply from October 16. The NMC has not implemented it so far. But reservoir levels have fallen sharply compared with last year, making it harder to put the matter off.

The directive followed concern over low rainfall and the possible effect of El Nino on water availability. Local bodies have been told to give drinking water the highest priority, keep 10% of water in reserve for emergencies, and put water management measures in place until August 31, 2027.

Nagpur currently receives about 740 million litres a day (MLD) of treated water from Totladoh and the Kanhan river. A 10% cut would mean about 74 MLD less every day. This will be a major challenge for the administration.

A major concern is non-revenue water (NRW), meaning water lost to pipeline leaks, unauthorised connections and distribution flaws. About 35% of the city's total supply, or around 259 MLD, falls in this category. The corporation claims that by repairing leaking pipelines and regularising unauthorised connections it is saving about 50 MLD a day. Even so, only real and lasting savings will decide whether a deep cut in consumers' supply can be avoided.

The state of the reservoirs is worrying. Live storage in Totladoh, Nagpur's main source, has dropped to just 34.36% of design capacity. On the same date last year it was 93.90%. Khindsi now has 36.37% water, against 90.53% a year earlier. Kamthi Khairi has 57.34%, compared with 72.10% at this time last year.

The fall in Totladoh and Khindsi shows how fragile Nagpur's water supply system is becoming, and that measures to save water are urgently needed.

The NMC is relying on reducing distribution losses and curbing unnecessary use. This includes speeding up pipeline repairs, regularising illegal connections and stopping people from using clean drinking water for tasks such as washing vehicles or cleaning roads. But with 259 MLD counted as NRW, the effect of these measures will be watched closely. The administration will have to show how much water better distribution can actually save, and whether it can make up for the proposed cut.

Saturday's review meeting is expected to decide what happens next, including when and by how much supply will be cut. The NMC faces a difficult balance: conserving water from rapidly shrinking reservoirs while continuing to give people enough to drink. Unless reservoir levels improve substantially, Nagpur may have to prepare for strict water management over a long period.