Somewhere in Nagpur.....

It’s a dream-like situation in Baji Prabhu Nagar in Dharampeth zone of Nagpur Municipal Corporation with residents getting round-the-clock water supply.What the people in nearly 170 households in the colony have to do is to turn on the taps and get immediate water. A nice sight to watch.People are very happy to be part of the NMC’s pilot project of providing water round-the-clock. Now, there is no need to store water in sumps on the ground floor which residents of flats often used to do. They are no more required to take water to the third or fourth floor by using a pump. They now get safe and non-polluted drinking water.“We are happy that our locality has been chosen as the model one for 24x7 water supply project by NMC. We thank the civic body for fulfilling our demand for regular water supply,” Radheshyam Samrit, president of Baji Prabhu Nagar Nagrik Mandal and a prominent citizen here said. “Around 170 households in our locality have been receiving non-polluted water supply round-the-clock for the last seven days. Earlier, we had to store water, boil it and then use it for drinking. This problem has now been solved,” Samrit added.Kusum Samrit said, “Now, we use water whenever we need. Otherwise, the taps are closed.” It is after many years that uninterrupted and full pressure water supply has come back to city,” she added. Samrit said, “Residents of Baji Prabhu Nagar opposed the project for many reasons. However, when the company workers started actual work and removed old and rusty pipeline from the area and fitted high quality pipes and meters, everybody supported the project. We are proud to become ambassadors of 24X7 water supply not only for city but in the entire state,” Samrit said.Vandana Mendhe, a housewife, said, “From the day we got uninterrupted water supply we are no more storing it. Though the water supply was stopped for some unknown reasons and caused problem on Tuesday morning, we are happy with NMC’s new project.”Another couple from the area — N V Das and Sujata Das — said, “With the roundthe-clock safe and non-polluted supply, the possibility of water-borne diseases has reduced in the area. Earlier, we had to lift water from the ground floor sump to the tank on the third floor. However, there is no problem now as we get full pressure water supply not only on the third floor (at a height of 45 feet). Water is reaching even above the height of 60 feet. Das said that residents of Ram Nagar, near Baji Prabhu Nagar, had initially opposed the project. However, after getting a positive response from residents here (in Baji Prabhu Nagar), they have decided to approach NMC for implementation of the project in their locality too, he said.
Nagpurians, who are facing severe water crisis and receiving limited and low pressure supply at present, will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to Nagpur Municipal Corporation. The civic body has decided to provide round-the-clock water supply to every household in the city by year 2011. In the first phase of the project, residents of Dharampeth zone where NMC has outsourced water distribution network to Veolia Water (India) Pvt Ltd, will start receiving 24x7 supply by November 2009. “In the second phase, after Baji Prabhu Nagar, we are planning to extend these benefits to residents of Ambazari Layout, Daga Layout and Hill Top by November-end,” informed Rajesh Lohkare, project manager of Veolia.Pipeline installation work is on in full swing and the entire Dharampeth zone area will start getting uninterrupted water supply by November 2009, he added. A five-year pilot project for distribution of water, bill collection, operation and maintenance works has been awarded to the company with an aim to provide round-theclock supply to residents of the zone, he added. Shashikant Hastak, executive engineer of NMC water works department, said, “24x7 scheme improves the quality of water. Presently, pipelines in the city do not have water for better part of the day. Sometimes, this allows sewage water to seep in. This would not be the case under the 24x7 scheme. Further, it would reduce wastage of water and check leakage through rusty pipelines,” he added.“Once the pilot project in Dharampeth zone gets success, we will implement the scheme in the entire city with the funds allocated under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission at a cost of Rs 400 crore by 2011,” Hastak added
Benefits of 24 x 7 Water Supply:
Pipelines remain under controlled pressure round-the-clock and leakage and pipeline breaks are reduced.
Water leakage can be detected easily.
Checks water wastage.
Citizens can use water as and when required.
Every locality gets equal water supply.
Consumers get bills according to consumption .
As pipelines are under controlled pressure, sewage water cannot enter pipes and thus safe drinking water is provided.
It can check diseases like gastro and jaundice spread due to non-polluted water supply