New dawn for Naag river: Multi-crore pollution abatement project commences

 

 

The much-awaited Naag River Pollution Abatement project has finally taken off, although at much slower speed, as Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) initiated baby steps by allocating first of the five packages. The project outlay is Rs 1,926.99 crore and work order for installation of electric crematorium at Mokshadham was issued. The same is meant to prevent disposal of ashes in adjoining Naag River flow post cremation, which at present has only Diesel unit and traditional wood based pyres. Incidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had flown down to city for lay foundation stone for the mega project.

 

And it took the agencies involved in the project, NMC, National River Conservation Directorate and more importantly, JICA, the Japanese Government funding agency, to get the project going. This is despite roping in Tata Consulting Engineers Ltd (TCEL) to provide Project Management Services for the project. This ambitious project, funded substantially through a loan from the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), aims to rejuvenate the city’s namesake river, it has long been reduced to a polluted water channel. The initial work order, dated October 28, 2025, has been issued to M/s Kanta Electricals India Ltd for a key non-sewerage component known as CP-5: Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Electric Crematorium at Mokshadham. This package carries a negotiated cost of Rs 1,26,46,000.

 

The work order directs start of construction within the period of 15 months, followed by a 2-year Defect Liability Period including 12 months of Operation and Maintenance, summing up to a total of 39 months per the tender conditions. This individual component is valued at Rs 1.21 crore, as per official costing breakdowns, said the officials overseeing the project. The project is structured into several contract packages (CPs), with the CP-5 work order being the first of five major components. Information indicates that the tender work for CP-4 is also in process and is expected to start soon, followed by the others.

 

The entire proceeding is anticipated to take an estimated 8-years for full completion, said the officials of civic body supervising the project implementation. The overall total cost of the Naag River Pollution Abatement Project stands at Rs 1,926.99 crore, broken down into the following major packages: CP-1: Interceptor and Diverting: Rs 411.72 cr CP-2: STP and Pumping Station: Rs 415.79 cr CP-3: North Sewerage Network: Rs 253.17 cr CP-4: Central Sewerage Network: Rs 289.29 cr CP-5: Electric Crematorium and Non-Sewerage Works: Rs 1.21 cr The remaining amount brings the total to 1,926.99 crore including other costs. Core vision of the NMC's pollution abatement plan is to divert all sewage water through closed conduits to Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), effectively preventing untreated waste from entering the river.” said by Rajesh Dufare, Executive Engineer, NMC. Dufare said “The success of the project hinges on public responsibility, with a specific request to hawkers and street vendors to refrain from dumping waste directly into the river and its tributaries.” This project, which has been in the planning stages for years, promises to deliver a cleaner, healthier environment for Nagpur by approximately 2032-33, restoring the river to its natural state.