NMC Misses Deadline for Ambazari Lake Weed Cleanup; Residents Fear Monsoon Reset

Despite the deployment of heavy machinery—including tippers, poclains, and a specialized weed-harvesting machine brought from Delhi—the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has failed to meet its three-week deadline to clear the ecological crisis at Ambazari Lake.

While the civic body claims to be pulling out nearly 200 tonnes of water hyacinth daily, local residents and morning walkers are growing increasingly frustrated with the sluggish pace of the operation, warning that crucial summer months have been wasted.

The Deep-Water Bottleneck

According to Yogesh Pachpor, Corporator of Prabhag 13(A), roughly 70% to 80% of the lake has been cleared of the suffocating weed. He noted that the inflow of weeds has been successfully halted near the gabion bridge, and the upcoming commissioning of the Wadi Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in August should offer a long-term solution.

However, clearing the final stretch is proving difficult.

“The progress is slow because the remaining hyacinth is floating in deep-water areas where only one recently procured harvesting machine can operate. The NMC is planning to procure another similar machine from WCL, which will speed up the work,” Pachpor explained.

Monsoon Threatens to Undo Progress

A recent site visit on Thursday afternoon revealed a worrying scene: the lake’s water levels have dropped significantly this year, leaving a dense concentration of water hyacinth packed tightly near the dam.

With the monsoon season already arriving, residents and environmentalists are sounding the alarm. If the remaining 20% to 30% of the hyacinth is not removed immediately, heavy monsoon runoff could scatter the weeds back across the entire expanse of the lake, completely undoing months of hard work and wasting substantial public funds.

Pre-Monsoon Disruption Already Felt in Nagpur

Public skepticism has been further fueled by the city’s vulnerability to recent light showers. While the NMC has been executing routine pre-monsoon tasks like clearing stormwater drains and filling potholes, the initial rains have already triggered disruptions.

Multiple incidents of tree collapses have been reported across Nagpur, particularly involving old, leaning, and hazardous trees that citizens had previously flagged to authorities. Residents fear that if the civic body cannot manage basic tree pruning and road maintenance, the critical Ambazari cleanup may also face a major setback as the heavy rains intensify.