Finally, Godavari River water reaches municipal corporation limits!

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The city is eagerly awaiting the arrival of an additional 200 MLD of water under the new water supply scheme. On Tuesday at 4 pm, water finally reached the municipal corporation limits, specifically up to a nursery near Nakshatrwadi. So far, water has completed a 36.2 km journey. However, just 2 km short of the water treatment plant (WTP), a major leakage was detected at a scour valve near Dhorkin around 4 pm, forcing authorities to stop pumping temporarily. Repairs are expected to be completed during the day, and water will reach Nakshatrawadi on Wednesday.

Pumping began early Tuesday morning from Jayakwadi, and water reached R L Steel by 10 am. After completing the 28.8 km stretch, water began moving rapidly towards the city. The WTP is situated on a hill near Nakshatrwadi, 90 metres above sea level. Water arriving at the Nisarg Nursery faced some challenges due to elevation, causing high pressure on the pipeline. This pressure caused welding near the scour valve at Dhorkin to loosen, leading to the detected leakage. Water pumping from Jayakwadi was stopped, and work began overnight to drain the 6 km stretch between Nakshatrawadi and Dhorkin by closing the butterfly valve.

Three crore litres of water affected

The pipeline holds approximately 50 lakh litres of water per km. With a 6 km stretch, nearly 3 crore litres of water had to be drained. Once emptied, repair work will begin early Wednesday, after which pumping will resume on Thursday to supply water to the Nakshatrawadi WTP. This is being seen as a historic moment for the city.

Reverse pressure to test pipeline

After water reaches the Nakshatrawadi plant, all scour and butterfly valves will remain open, allowing water to flow back towards Jayakwadi under pressure. This reverse flow will test the pipeline’s capacity, remove sediment and debris, and ensure full functionality before refilling.

10–15 days of treatment testing

After reaching the water treatment plant, testing and purification will take at least 10–15 days. Water quality will be repeatedly checked, and only after full satisfaction will the master balancing reservoir (MBR) at the Nakshatrawadi hill be filled. Officials expect this process to be completed by the end of April.