Bhandara district faces potable water shortage due to pollution of Wainganga river

The Bhandara district and other villages near the river Wainganga are facing a shortage of potable water despite having enough water in Wainanga. The water is getting polluted because sewage from Bhandara city and other nearby areas is being released into the river and because polluted water is coming from the Nag River. And also due to the block created by the Gosikhurd dam. The river is considered the lifeline of the district.

Many announcements have been made by the authorities concerned with the purification and conservation of Wainganga. Unfortunately, those efforts to conserve 'Wainganga' could not be seen on the ground.

The Wainganga River originates in the mountain ranges of the Seoni district of Madhya Pradesh and enters the Bhandara district after flowing through Balaghat and Gondia districts.

Before the construction of the Indira Sagar Project (Go Sikhurd Dam) at Pauni Taluka, Wainganga was the lifeline of many other villages too. It was predicted that the agricultural produce in the area would flourish after the dam was built. However, due to the construction of the dam, the flow of Wainganga, which used to flow 145 TCM of water, is now restricted. The river that never dries is not in a state to provide potable water due to contaminated water being released into it. Every year, the E-Cornea crisis occurs in stagnant water. As a result, water supply schemes are affected. Bhandara city is the most affected.

Pollution in Wainganga increases

The rising urbanisation and industrialisation, have resulted in a significant increase in the pollution of the river. To overcome this, the government started the 'Chala Jaanuya Nadila' campaign. This campaign includes two rivers, 'Wainganga' and 'Chulband' in the Bhandara district. Under this mission, measures for conservation were to be identified and implemented. But the present situation shows that this campaign is limited only to the meeting of officials. Apart from this, every year Wainganga is worshipped as part of the tradition, but all this goes in vain as the condition of the river deteriorates with each passing day.