Nagpur: Finally, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is all set to have its own water source. Idea is to develop a new barrage on Kanhan river. If the project materializes, the civic body will get double the water it draws from the river right now.For NMC, water resources department (WRD) has entered into an agreement with central government’s WAPCOS Limited under city MP Nitin Gadkari’s Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.WRD sources told TOI, WAPCOS will submit a detailed project report (DPR) by December. “WRD conducted survey and prepared some designs. It found construction of new barrage on Kanhan river feasible. Process to get administrative approval for the project and then submission for funds will be started after receiving the DPR,” sources said.Earlier, NMC was planning to rejuvenate the abandoned barrage on Kanhan river. Now, WRD has finalized a new barrage at NMC’s Kanhan water treatment plant (WTP) downstream of confluence with Kolar river.At present, NMC is drawing 58 million metre cube (MMC) water from Kanhan river. After this project, NMC can get 109 MMC. The barrage’s storage capacity will be 65 MMC. It will bring down the difference between NMC’s requirement and allocation. As against demand of 269.7MMC, WRD had allocated 197.03 MMC from Totladoh (Pench) reservoir and Kanhan river.An NMC official said the project will also save huge quantity of water. “Kanhan WTP is having capacity of 240 MLD. But we do not enough water from February to July. We release water from Totladoh into Kanhan river. We will not require to do that any more water after this project is operational,” he said.One of the reasons behind decrease in water availability for NMC is construction of Chourai dam by Madhya Pradesh government on Pench river. The irrigation is also hit because of it. The state had sanctioned a special scheme of Rs 1,015 crore to minimize irrigation problems.WRD official said tendering had been started for five of seven lift irrigation schemes (LIS) sanctioned under Rs 1,015 crore scheme and works are likely to begin from October.On Friday, Gadkari held review meeting of irrigation projects in the state. He informed approval of Rs 13,651.61 crore for new projects and completion of ongoing projects of Vidarbha and Marathwada. Funds have been approved under Centre’s ‘Baliraja Jal Sanjeevani Yojana’. They will benefit 91 projects in 14 districts of which six are in Vidarbha, five in Marathwada and three in other parts of the state.Gadkari also met CM Devendra Fadnavis and informed him of the pattern of allocation of the funds. The Centre will give 25% of funds and remaining 75% will be of the state but to be given by NABARD.

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