MWRRA slams NMC for using dead stock from Totladoh dam

Nagpur: The Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA) has reportedly slammed the Water Resources Department (WRD) and Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for using dead stock of Totladoh reservoir. Advocate Ashish Jaiswal, former Shiv Sena MLA from Ramtek, had brought it to the notice of MWRRA that dead stock is being used without permission since last one month. In a big revelation, Jaiswal said the state government has not issued any written permission to use the dead stock.
Jaiswal has filed a contempt petition against WRD, NMC, collector, and two more respondents with MWRRA. A five-member bench of MWRRA chaired by KP Bakshi held a hearing on the petition on Tuesday.
In the petition, Jaiswal said using dead stock was a contempt of MWRRA order dated September 12, 2018. “WRD has even allowed NMC to use more water than allocated from Totladoh reservoir. NMC did nothing to bring down losses or develop its own water sources,” he said.
Jaiswal told TOI, WRD and NMC committed a crime by using dead stock without permission. “WRD and NMC officials failed to show any permission to MWRRA. It has come at the cost of lakhs of farmers, people, cattle and wildlife. I pleaded for appropriate action against all concerned persons from the five respondent agencies,” he said.
On May 14, mayor Nanda Jichkar had met CM Devendra Fadnavis and claimed to have received permission to utilize 30 MMC from dead stock.
On the directives of MWRRA, WRD officials said NMC used 163 MMC as against allocation of 154 MMC as on Monday. “Total utilization of water for NMC will be around 170 MMC by June end,” they said.
MWRRA reportedly came down heavily on WRD and NMC for using more water than allocated.
Jaiswal added NMC misled MWRRA on the quantum of non-revenue water (NRW). “MWRRA asked NMC officials to inform it about current NRW. NMC officials said current NRW was 45%. Actually, NRW of NMC is much more than that. MWRRA passed strictures on NMC officials. NRW of NMC should have been 14% in current condition,” he said.
Jaiswal also brought it to the notice of MWRRA that NMC has failed to bring down high consumption. He said NMC was drawing and supplying much more water than norms and requirement.
In the petition, Jaiswal said the respondents did not comply with one of the directives of MWRRA. “NMC has not complied with direction passed by this authority by not carrying out the accrued assessment of groundwater potential with the help of Groundwater Survey and Development Agency, Pune, and Central Groundwater Board office at Nagpur. It has also not planned augmentation of water supply with groundwater, storm water as well as ponds/ reservoirs/ tanks available within Nagpur city area,” he said.