Nashik Civic Body Meeting Sees Heated Clashes Over Critical Infrastructure Failures
The general body meeting of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Friday descended into sharp and intense exchanges as elected corporators vociferously raised pressing concerns over the city's deteriorating civic infrastructure. The discussions centered on three major issues: inadequate water supply, severely damaged road conditions, and aging sewerage systems that are failing across multiple localities.
Severe Water Shortages Despite Ample Dam Reserves
Corporators presented alarming data, alleging that water distribution in the Panchavati and Cidco divisions remains critically inadequate, even though the dams supplying the city hold sufficient reserves. They highlighted a stark supply-demand gap. For instance, Panchavati's daily water demand stands at 81 million litres per day (MLD), but the division receives only approximately 54 MLD, creating a significant deficit. A similar, persistent supply gap was reported in the Cidco division as well.
Members further complained that elevated storage reservoirs are not being filled to their full capacity. This operational failure results in chronically low water pressure and highly irregular supply, causing daily hardship for residents in numerous neighborhoods who face dry taps and unreliable access to a basic necessity.
Aging Sewerage Network on the Verge of Collapse
Representatives from the Cidco area brought urgent attention to the city's sewerage crisis. They emphasized that sewer lines, many of which are over two to three decades old, are frequently choking and breaking down. This aging infrastructure is beyond routine maintenance and requires immediate, large-scale replacement to prevent public health hazards and environmental contamination.
City Roads in a State of Disrepair
Road-related issues dominated a significant portion of the heated discussions. Corporators stated that damaged stretches and dug-up roads across Nashik are causing immense daily hardship and traffic chaos for residents. They pointed out that repair work remains indefinitely pending on several roads excavated by utility agencies, including the Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL). The corporators demanded immediate restoration and accountability for the left-behind mess.
Mayor's Directives and Action Plan
In response to the barrage of concerns, the mayor issued several directives to the civic administration. She ordered a comprehensive audit of the entire water supply and sewerage network specifically in the Cidco division to identify systemic failures and plan upgrades.
On the water front, she instructed the water supply department to immediately deploy tankers to areas facing inadequate or no piped supply as a stop-gap measure to alleviate citizen suffering.
Regarding the damaged roads, the mayor announced that all stretches dug up by MNGL and other agencies will be repaired by the end of March. This restoration work will utilize a provision of Rs 90 crore already earmarked for such purposes. In a stern warning, she also directed officials to initiate cases of culpable homicide against contractors who fail to install proper warning boards at excavation sites, should any accidents occur due to such negligence.
The meeting concluded with a clear mandate for the administration to address these long-neglected civic issues with urgency and transparency, as public patience wears thin.
