As torrential rains pounded Nagpur on Wednesday, memories of the September 2023 Ambazari flood disaster resurfaced. But this time, the city was spared — not by high-tech interventions, but by a simple, strategic cut in the dam’s side bund.
In a quiet yet impactful move, the Water Resources Department (WRD), aided by the Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute (MERI), made a one-metre bund cut near the Swami Vivekananda Memorial — not on the dam’s main embankment, but the left-side bund. This lowered the overflow threshold and gave the dam more breathing room during heavy rainfall.
The result? Despite over 240 mm of rain in 48 hours, Ambazari Dam held strong. Officials say the cut doesn’t increase storage but shifts the spill profile, allowing water to rise deeper before spilling — offering a critical buffer during monsoons.
Evaporation and routine water drawdown also kept levels in check, said WRD officials monitoring the site.
Meanwhile, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is relocating a 700 mm water pipeline previously under the Ambazari Bridge — a frequent flood contributor in Hingna Road and Subhan Nagar. Elevated RCC supports will soon carry it above stormwater paths.
Though the ₹4.4 crore radial gate project remains stalled, WRD engineers say the bund cut is already proving its worth.
No sirens, no concrete overhaul — just one metre of insight, and a city saved from sinking twice.
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