Confronted by an alarming dip in regional water reserves and the prospect of an excruciating summer, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is actively deliberating whether to defer the execution of Phase V of its ambitious Cement Concrete Road project. Valued at roughly Rs 900 crore, the infrastructure undertaking requires lakhs of litres of water for concrete mixing, layering, and daily curing. It is a luxury the city can scarcely afford when civic authorities are struggling to safeguard drinking water. Though top officials clarified that a formal freeze is not yet sealed, strong discussions lean toward postponing the rollout. Speaking to ‘The Hitavada’, Leena Upadhyay, Executive Engineer, Public Works Department (PWD), NMC, confirmed the deliberations, stating, “The department is actively thinking over the situation and is likely to postpone Phase 5 of the cement road project.

 

A final call will be taken considering that large-scale concretisation demands enormous quantities of water, and drinking water availability remains our foremost administrative priority.” Nagpur district logged its lowest monsoon precipitation in 18 years, leaving key reservoirs supplying the urban hub including the crucial Pench and Kanhan networks hovering at a precarious 58 per cent storage. With municipal squads proposing heavy penalties of up to Rs 5,000 for misusing potable water, deploying water tanker supplies for construction would run counter to conservation mandates.

 

Originally, the phase 5 is designed to concretise 135 key tar stretches spanning 89.22 km across nine municipal zones, Phase V saw proposals expand to nearly 265 roads following recommendations from local MLAs and corporators. Major allocations were earmarked for Ashi Nagar (16.49 km across 22 roads), Dharampeth (15.36 km), and Lakadganj (13.35 km). Building on Phase IV, the blueprint also incorporated roadside storm-water drains and groundwater recharge pits. However, with taps already running dry across multiple wards, administrative consensus favors keeping heavy roadworks in abeyance until reservoir inflows improve next monsoon.