In a major respite for citizens staring at immediate rationing, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has decided against enforcing the Maharashtra Government’s mandated 10 per cent water cut, opting instead to bridge the deficit by aggressively tackling distribution losses and illegal tappings. Despite the State-wide directive instructing urban local bodies to slash water supply starting Friday, the civic administration confirmed it will sustain its normal pumping benchmark of 740 million litres per day (MLD) sourced from the Totladoh reservoir and the Kanhan River. The reprieve comes as a significant relief to households, with senior officials indicating that available dam reserves can comfortably support current demand without curtailing domestic taps.

 

Confirming the news, Shrikant Waikar, Executive Engineer, Water Works Department, NMC, said, “There is no water cut for now because our dams currently hold sufficient water reserves for the city. As long as storage remains adequate, we are not enforcing any cuts, nor is there any time-bound deadline set to introduce rationing. While regular supply continues, our focus is entirely on water-saving measures, curbing wastage, and penalising misuse.” Rather than shifting the burden of compliance onto consumers through dry taps, the civic body is targeting its staggering Non-Revenue Water (NRW) footprint. Nearly 259 MLD amounting to roughly 35 per cent of the total 740 MLD treated supply is routinely lost to subterranean pipe leakages, unmetered usage, and unauthorised tapping networks. A 10 per cent reduction under State orders would have meant withdrawing 74 MLD from circulation.

 

Municipal authorities argue that systematically arresting network losses can yield equivalent or higher savings without disrupting domestic life. Mayor Neeta Thakre earlier affirmed that supply levels will be kept intact while reservoir health is closely observed. According to the sources, preliminary field interventions including immediate leak patching and regularising illegal connections have already conserved approximately 30 crore litres over six days, translating to an average daily recovery of 50 MLD. Alongside engineering fixes, the civic body is cracking down on potable water wastage for washing vehicles, construction, and road cleaning, warning of penalties up to Rs 5,000 per violation. While taps remain running normally for now, the administration’s ability to sustain the reprieve will ultimately depend on whether its anti-leakage campaign can outpace seasonal reservoir depletion in the months ahead.