City’s flood defences full of holes, residents brace for repeat flooding

Nagpur: Residents of Ambazari Layout, Daga Layout, Corporation Colony, Yeshwant Nagar, and Shankar Nagar, who suffered huge losses in the catastrophic flooding during the flash floods of September 23, 2023, are once again gripped by anxiety and fears of a repeat disaster, as monsoon nears. Their fear stems from the incomplete works like complete desilting of Nag River, removing blockages from the riverbed to allow smooth flow of water, incomplete retaining walls at many places and as the local claim: unresponsive civic officials.In response to the 2023 floods, the govt formed a high-level committee tasked with flood mitigation along the Nag River. However, flood-affected citizens expressed deep dissatisfaction with the committee's functioning. They accused it of remaining distant and unresponsive to the people most vulnerable to flooding, claiming that there was little to no direct engagement or consultation with residents. The committee's site visits and inspections were sparse and appeared to have been conducted only after stern warnings from the high court, raising questions about the seriousness of their efforts.One of the most critical concerns is the failure to commence widening of Nag River in time. Although the committee assured that work would be completed by May 30, 2025, the deadline was missed, and significant portions of the riverbed remain narrow and blocked. The incomplete work leaves residents exposed to potentially devastating floods, said flood-hit resident and lawyer Tushar Mandlekar. According to locals, a major obstruction continues to be the Swami Vivekanand Smarak located on the river's spillway, which reduces the water passage to a dangerously narrow 11 meters and could cause floodwaters to overflow onto adjacent roads. Despite clear violations of irrigation department regulations, the committee's apparent priority has been to protect the memorial rather than ensuring free flow of water.Retired civil engineer and flood survivor Yeshwant Khorgade, a resident of Ambazari Layout, has raised doubts about the committee's reliance on a report by the Central Water and Power Research Station. The report claims that the flood in September 2023 was not caused by the memorial and that no larger flood would occur for at least 100 years. Khorgade challenges this conclusion, pointing out that the weir was designed to handle a discharge of 320 cubic meters per second — almost double the floodwaters recorded during the September 2023 event. He questions how floodwaters will pass if 56 meter of the 80-meter-wide weir is blocked by the memorial. According to him, the report focuses only on historical flood data and ignores the river's designed capacity and the possibility of more severe future floods, a dangerous oversight given the changing climate and increasing rainfall extremes.During a visit, TOI found a poclain stranded with a huge pile of silt lying on the riverbed near the overflow point. A few meters further under the newly elevated bridge over the Nag River, TOI found that among the three channels, one was obstructed due to NMC's water pipeline, which may cause a bottleneck this time. After 18 months of the devastating flood, the NMC now floated a tender for elevation of the pipeline, raising eyebrows.TOI found several blockades at Krazy Castle. The riverbed cleaning was done and even widened at several locations, but it did not match the 18-meter width of the riverbed. Construction of retaining walls remains incomplete at several locations. Without these walls, debris from the surrounding area risks being washed back into the channel, undermining the cleanliness and safety efforts.Behind Ambazari Layout, the situation is aggravated by damage to a sewer line caused during desilting works. This has led to sewage water stagnating in residential areas, creating a foul smell and posing serious health risks. Residents complain that blockage of the river's natural flow during construction has worsened the problem, with sewage water unable to drain properly. Local resident Shashikant Patre explains that the sewer line was completely broken during the desilting and construction process of retaining walls and urgently needs repair or removal to prevent backflow and contamination.With monsoon rains expected to be heavier than usual, residents are demanding immediate accountability and swift action from the authorities. They warn that any further delays or negligence could result in a repeat of the catastrophic flooding witnessed last year. The committee's work, criticised for having "more holes than Swiss cheese", must be made more thorough, transparent, and focused on addressing the real challenges on the ground. For the people living along the Nag River, time is running out, and their safety depends on decisive measures before the next flood hits.The office of chief engineer Manoj Talewar claimed that 90% Nag River desilting is complete.