Nagpur’s iconic ₹50 crore Futala Musical Fountain—the world’s largest floating multimedia fountain—is gathering dust. Built to global standards and declared complete after 42 public shows, it now lies stalled by a Supreme Court stay issued on January 25, 2024. The reason? A legal challenge, despite full compliance with all required norms.
The fountain, developed by NMRDA, is an engineering marvel—floating on 960 sq.m of stainless steel with no foundation, no permanent construction, and zero impact on the lakebed. It covers less than 0.2% of Futala Lake’s surface. The Collector of Nagpur has twice confirmed the lake is not a notified wetland.
Creative brilliance backs the project: music by A.R. Rahman, narration by Gulzar, Amitabh Bachchan, and Nana Patekar, and direction by Revathy. It received the SKOCH Silver Award in 2022 and wowed dignitaries, including the Maharashtra Cabinet and G20 C20 delegates.
Just as IIT Bombay-recommended cable replacements (worth ₹5 crore) were about to begin, the project was halted. These cables now lie exposed—vulnerable to monsoon, pests, and decay—threatening further loss of public funds.
This is not just a showpiece—it’s a technological, cultural, and civic milestone. It deserves protection, not paralysis.
With India’s new Chief Justice hailing from Nagpur, the city looks to its own for a decision that can restore pride, prevent waste, and let this masterpiece do what it was built for: tell Nagpur’s story in water, light, and sound.
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