Incomplete Retaining Walls, Blocked Spillway Raise Ambazari Flood Fears
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
The memories of September 2023 flash floods are haunting residents of the worst-hit neighbourhoods like Corporation Colony and Shankar Nagar, forcing them spend night taking turns to monitor rising dam water levels.
With retaining walls still incomplete and the spillway of the dam partially obstructed by a monument, many fear a repeat of the September 2023 late night disaster.
Despite repeated claims of preparedness by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), a ground visit by TOI on Monday revealed glaring vulnerabilities.
In Corporation Colony — the epicentre of September 2023's flooding — at least three critical spots along the Nag river remain unprotected, with no retaining wall constructed. In Shankar Nagar too, the damaged wall along the river remains unrestored, exposing nearby homes to direct flood risk.
"The river is barely metres away from our houses. If it overflows again, we'll have no protection," a resident said, pointing to an open bank where floodwaters surged last year.
Ironically, the same stretch was recently inspected by senior civic officials, including NMC commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari, during a desilting operation. While heavy machinery was used to clear the silt, no protective structure has been rebuilt since. TOI has already highlighted that of the 56 damaged retaining wall sites across the Nag, Pili, and Pora rivers, 51 have been completed. "Five major sites are pending.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
We have requested additional Rs70 crore from the state to complete them," said NMC chief engineer Manoj Talewar.
However, residents and activists say these delays are inexcusable. What's worsened the situation is the continued blockage of the Ambazari dam's spillway tray — the main outlet for excess water — by the Swami Vivekanand memorial. The monument was constructed much before the flash floods and, although not the cause of the floods, it remains an obstruction in the dam's tail channel.
Retired civil engineer Yeshwant Khorgade explained, "The dam was designed to discharge 320 cubic metres per second (cumec), but the channel area available near the statue is only about 35 sq.m., whereas the minimum required is 107 sq.m. As per IS 7784 (Indian standards codes that provide guidelines for the design of cross-drainage works), this violates safe velocity and flow standards, increasing the risk of overflow.
"
Adding to the concern, the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) study tested the spillway for just 116 cumec — far below the original design. The irrigation department has stated in an affidavit that dam safety is NMC's responsibility. Yet, NMC itself has told the high court it lacks technical expertise to manage a dam.
"This is a disaster waiting to happen," said another flood-hit resident Gajanan Deshpande.
"The dam must be handed over to the state irrigation department. Civic officials are gambling with our lives," he said.
After removing almost all obstacles by widening the stretches and deepening the riverbed, residents say the flood mitigation plan may work this monsoon. "But if we get continuous heavy rain, it might not be enough," said Dr Archana Deshpande, a resident of Shankar Nagar.
As monsoon activity intensifies, with more downpours forecast, experts are calling for an urgent audit of the dam structure, retaining walls, and flood mitigation works. With residents already standing guard each night, it's a race against time to prevent Nagpur from being submerged once more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
British woman slams Indian staff at Heathrow airport for not speaking English, demands deportation; outraged netizens call her ‘racist'
Lucy White, an X user, recently sparked outrage after she shared her experience with an Indian-origin staff member at London's Heathrow Airport. In her post, which amassed over two million views, White slammed the staff member for not speaking 'a word of English.' 'Just landed in London Heathrow. Majority of staff are Indian/ Asian & are not speaking a word of English. I said to them, 'Speak English'. Their reply, 'You're being racist'. They know I'm right, so they have to use the race card. Deport them all. Why are they working at the first point of entry to the UK?! What must tourists think,' White wrote on X. See the post here: Just landed in London Heathrow. Majority of staff are Indian/ Asian & are not speaking a word of English. I said to them, 'Speak English' Their reply, 'You're being racist' They know I'm right, so they have to use the race card. Deport them all. Why are they working at the… — Lucy White (@LucyJayneWhite1) July 6, 2025 The post quickly gained traction, eliciting a range of reactions. While a section of social media users backed White over challenges ignited by language barrier, others slammed her, calling her 'racist.' A user wrote, 'Do you speak Hindi? How do you know what their reply meant if the airport staff weren't speaking a word of English? Did you definitely go to Cambridge?' Another user commented, 'You ARE being racist. However I'll take a bet on this being under the list of 'things that never happened'.' 'This is completely fabricated. Yes, a lot of staff at Heathrow are of Asian descent, that's partly because of where it is situated. They all speak English. All of them. Quit making stuff up. BTW, they're incredibly helpful and friendly too. Unlike you,' a third user reacted. 'On the basis you say deport them all – they were obviously a very good judge of character and 100% correct in their assessment,' a fourth user chimed in. Recently, a video of an American man confronting an Indian-origin man in public emerged on social media. In the viral clip, the American man shamed the 'brown' man, asking him to 'go back to his country.'
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Indian Woman In New York Defends Using Leash On 3-Year-Old Son: "We Got Peace Of Mind"
An Indian mother of two has responded to online critics after a video of her child on a leash during a family trip to New York City gained attention. Shubhangi Jagota, an Indian woman based in Canada, shared a clip of her 3.5-year-old son joyfully running and jumping in Times Square, safely tethered to his father with a child leash. Ms Jagota explained that using a leash for her 3.5-year-old son was the best decision for their trip to New York City. The leash gave their energetic toddler the freedom to explore while keeping him safe from getting lost or wandering off. She added that it allowed him to have a hands-free adventure, while she and her husband had peace of mind. "He's 3.5 and we're not ashamed to say we put him on a leash. In a city like New York, this was hands-down the best decision for our trip. Our little runner always wants his freedom, and this gave him just that—without giving us a heart attack every 5 minutes. He got to explore without holding hands every second. We got peace of mind knowing he wasn't getting lost or—let's be real—stolen," she explained in an Instagram video. Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shubhangi Jagota (@katchmyparty) "The best part? He thought we were on the leash. He called himself the sheriff and us his captives. Honestly, everyone was winning," she added. Ms Jagota further explained that she used two types of leashes for her son, a shorter one in crowded areas and a longer one in open spaces, to balance his freedom with safety. The video's comments were disabled, likely to avoid negative feedback. The debate around child leashes is polarised online, with both sides presenting valid arguments. While some parents value their practicality and safety, especially in crowded areas, experts suggest that leashes may feel like punishment to children, potentially causing resentment or anxiety about independent exploration. Psychologists like Jennifer Hartstein claim leashes reflect lazy parenting, substituting discipline and rule-setting with physical restraint.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Incomplete Retaining Walls, Blocked Spillway Raise Ambazari Flood Fears
Nagpur: As rain continues to pound Nagpur since Sunday night, fear-induced sleeplessness has once again gripped residents living downstream of Ambazari dam and along Nag river. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The memories of September 2023 flash floods are haunting residents of the worst-hit neighbourhoods like Corporation Colony and Shankar Nagar, forcing them spend night taking turns to monitor rising dam water levels. With retaining walls still incomplete and the spillway of the dam partially obstructed by a monument, many fear a repeat of the September 2023 late night disaster. Despite repeated claims of preparedness by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), a ground visit by TOI on Monday revealed glaring vulnerabilities. In Corporation Colony — the epicentre of September 2023's flooding — at least three critical spots along the Nag river remain unprotected, with no retaining wall constructed. In Shankar Nagar too, the damaged wall along the river remains unrestored, exposing nearby homes to direct flood risk. "The river is barely metres away from our houses. If it overflows again, we'll have no protection," a resident said, pointing to an open bank where floodwaters surged last year. Ironically, the same stretch was recently inspected by senior civic officials, including NMC commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari, during a desilting operation. While heavy machinery was used to clear the silt, no protective structure has been rebuilt since. TOI has already highlighted that of the 56 damaged retaining wall sites across the Nag, Pili, and Pora rivers, 51 have been completed. "Five major sites are pending. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now We have requested additional Rs70 crore from the state to complete them," said NMC chief engineer Manoj Talewar. However, residents and activists say these delays are inexcusable. What's worsened the situation is the continued blockage of the Ambazari dam's spillway tray — the main outlet for excess water — by the Swami Vivekanand memorial. The monument was constructed much before the flash floods and, although not the cause of the floods, it remains an obstruction in the dam's tail channel. Retired civil engineer Yeshwant Khorgade explained, "The dam was designed to discharge 320 cubic metres per second (cumec), but the channel area available near the statue is only about 35 sq.m., whereas the minimum required is 107 sq.m. As per IS 7784 (Indian standards codes that provide guidelines for the design of cross-drainage works), this violates safe velocity and flow standards, increasing the risk of overflow. " Adding to the concern, the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) study tested the spillway for just 116 cumec — far below the original design. The irrigation department has stated in an affidavit that dam safety is NMC's responsibility. Yet, NMC itself has told the high court it lacks technical expertise to manage a dam. "This is a disaster waiting to happen," said another flood-hit resident Gajanan Deshpande. "The dam must be handed over to the state irrigation department. Civic officials are gambling with our lives," he said. After removing almost all obstacles by widening the stretches and deepening the riverbed, residents say the flood mitigation plan may work this monsoon. "But if we get continuous heavy rain, it might not be enough," said Dr Archana Deshpande, a resident of Shankar Nagar. As monsoon activity intensifies, with more downpours forecast, experts are calling for an urgent audit of the dam structure, retaining walls, and flood mitigation works. With residents already standing guard each night, it's a race against time to prevent Nagpur from being submerged once more.
