Reckless, unregulated digging by contractors has thrown Nagpur’s water supply into chaos. Over the last four days (June 16–19), underground pipelines were damaged at seven major locations, disrupting water access for more than 30,000 residents—all because contractors can’t be bothered to follow basic protocol.
Despite clear warnings from the Municipal Commissioner to control pre-monsoon excavation or face penalties, telecom, electricity, and infrastructure contractors have continued full-speed. The result: shattered pipelines in Pratap Nagar, Civil Lines, Hasanbagh, Gittikhadan, Ravi Nagar, and more.
On June 17 alone, an optical fiber contractor broke a 700 mm feeder line near Civil Lines, cutting off supply to 22,000 consumers in the Dhantoli zone. Smaller but equally damaging breaches followed, and in most cases, contractors refused to take responsibility, forcing already overburdened OCW teams to handle emergency repairs. Some were delayed for over 48 hours, and water tankers can’t keep up with the demand.
June has already seen 17 such incidents. This isn’t carelessness—it’s systemic failure. Contractors like BCC Transco, MSEB, and private telecom firms continue to flout safety norms, with zero accountability.
OCW has demanded a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)—mandatory underground utility checks, prior approvals, and strict penalties for violations. But unless the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) stops sitting on its hands and enforces real oversight, the city’s residents will keep suffering for this shameless contractor-driven mess.
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