While the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has reached the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) in Pune to evaluate the flood risk posed by the Vivekananda statue, it is also searching for alternative sites to relocate the statue. NMC Commissioner and Administrator Abhijeet Chaudhari told local media that CWPRS has been assigned to perform a detailed hydrological analysis of the dam’s spillway to determine any potential obstruction caused by the statue.
CWPRS will also conduct a thorough study of both the statue’s current location and potential new sites. This assessment will evaluate factors such as soil conditions, water levels, and the overall feasibility of relocating the statue. If the study concludes that the statue does not contribute to flooding, there will be no need to relocate it.
“However, if it obstructs the river flow, we are exploring alternative locations for relocation as a contingency plan,” said Chaudhari. The NMC is searching for suitable sites within the city, with Sakkardara Lake and Krazy Castle being evaluated due to their scenic beauty and ample space for the memorial, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Residents affected by the floods, who have taken the issue to the high court, have made relocating the statue a primary demand, alongside other mitigation measures and compensation claims. According to local media, the spillway’s water discharge capacity is 320 cubic meters per second. However, flood-affected residents claim that the statue, situated about 4.2 meters from the spillway’s edge, obstructs the flow. The spillway channel is only 5.7 meters wide, while 60 square meters are needed to maintain adequate water velocity. Legally, a distance of 55 meters is required between the spillway and any structure, significantly more than the current 4.2 meters.
The irrigation department has also mandated that no construction is allowed within an area five times the dam’s height. Despite last year’s severe flooding, which caused over Rs 300 crore in damage to more than 25,000 private properties, no significant long-term flood mitigation measures have been implemented. Although proposals have been made to widen the Nag River within the Seven Wonders premises of MahaMetro and relocate the statue, these measures remain incomplete even after the devastating flood on September 23, 2023, which left widespread destruction.