Nagpur’s Solar-Powered Village Water Model Gets National Spotlight

Nagpur: A solar-powered rural water supply project implemented at Ladgaon village in Katol taluka brought national recognition to Nagpur district under the Centre's Jal Jeevan Mission. The model was showcased before officials from across the country during a virtual programme organised by the Union ministry of Jal Shakti.Nagpur district collector Kumar Ashirwad and zilla parishad chief executive officer Vinayak Mahamuni presented the Ladgaon water supply model during the "District Collector Drinking Water Dialogue Programme", a national-level platform aimed at sharing innovative and sustainable drinking water practices adopted by districts across India. Nagpur was the only district from Maharashtra selected for the programme.Officials said the Ladgaon project emerged as a successful example of how renewable energy and water conservation techniques could together ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply in rural areas at minimal operational cost.Implemented under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the scheme provided continuous 24x7 tap water supply to a village through a solar-powered system, significantly reducing electricity expenditure. The project also integrated rainwater harvesting measures to strengthen groundwater recharge and improve long-term sustainability.As part of the initiative, rainwater collected from the rooftop of the village Primary Health Centre was channelled into a recharge shaft through an innovative filtration and diversion mechanism. Authorities said the intervention helped maintain an uninterrupted water supply in the village for the past two years.The programme was organised to facilitate exchange of best practices, innovative ideas and community-driven approaches among states and Union Territories implementing the Jal Jeevan Mission, which aimed to provide safe drinking water to every rural household under the "Har Ghar Jal" initiative.Speaking during the presentation, district collector Kumar Ashirwad described the Ladgaon scheme as an "inspiring model" demonstrating how safe and continuous drinking water could be supplied in rural areas through solar energy at very low cost.CEO Vinayak Mahamuni said Nagpur district was consistently working towards expanding safe tap water connectivity in rural and remote regions through sustainable water supply systems.Project director of Jal Jeevan Mission Kunal Undirwade, executive engineer Ashok Dhonge, deputy engineer Sana Hajare Ramteke, HRD consultant Vikrant Ingle, and IEC consultant Dinesh Masodkar were also present during the presentation.