The unforeseen extension of the water supply shutdown has plunged residents of the city into acute distress, forcing citizens to queue up at local water filter stations and public taps to secure basic drinking water. Except areas in North and East Nagpur, household reserves remained completely exhausted across the city and citizens faced severe hardship as crowds swelled around filter points, leading to long waits and chaotic scenes throughout the day. The crisis stems from a major delay in technical works at the Pench IV Water Treatment Plant (WTP). Originally, a 36-hour shutdown was initiated on October 6 at 10 am, intended to conclude by 10 pm on October 7.

 

However, contractors under the World Bank project failed to complete the scheduled tasks within the designated deadline. The major work involves interconnecting two massive 1,400 mm diameter pipelines near Mankapur Nullah as part of an essential pipeline relocation initiative. To mitigate the escalating crisis, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Orange City Water (OCW) have jointly deployed additional manpower to expedite the remaining interconnections. Mayor Neeta Thakre ordered officials to execute the task on a war footing, while Deputy Mayor Leela Hathibed inspected the site on Thursday evening alongside Superintending Engineer Dr Shweta Banerjee and Water Works Committee Chairperson Divya Dhurde. Officials assured that normal water supply will resume by October 9. Expressing deep regret for the inconvenience caused, the NMC has appealed to residents to conserve water while final repairs are completed.