Even though Gangapur Dam has plenty of water, many parts of the city are facing a serious water shortage. The ongoing work of installing flow meters and setting up water purification centers by the Smart City project and Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has disrupted regular water supply.
Areas like Indiranagar, CIDCO, Panchavati, Kamodnagar, Jakhadinagar, Wadala village, and several societies including Patil Garden, Maharudra Colony, Zilla Parishad Colony, Arunoday Society, Manas Colony, Devendra Society, and Shastrinagar have been worst affected. In these areas, citizens are forced to buy water through private tankers and water jars at their own cost.
The NMC had earlier announced that water supply would be stopped from 9 am to 6 pm due to the ongoing work. However, residents reported that water was unavailable even during the scheduled supply time of 5:30 am to 7:30 am on Saturday (21st). The unexpected halt led to an artificial water crisis, causing severe inconvenience, especially for women who had to search for water across neighborhoods.
The Municipal Corporation clarified that the flow meter installation work is being carried out at 22 different locations across the city. This includes work at Trimbak Road’s water tank, wall construction at Pathardi Phata, and waterproofing of tanks in Gandhinagar and Katha areas. Work at the old Nilgiri Bagh pumping station also continued late into the night.
Officials from the Water Supply Department stated that due to these works, low-pressure water supply will continue till Sunday (22nd) noon. Citizens, however, have criticized the administration, accusing it of mismanagement and creating an artificial water crisis during peak summer.