Central Railway has increased the water storage capacity of Amla Railway Reservoir in Nagpur division by 3.5 times through desilting and repair work, strengthening its preparedness to deal with a possible drought situation in Maharashtra. The reservoir’s capacity has increased from 93.75 million litres (9.37 crore litres) to 331.95 million litres (33.19 crore litres), adding 238.2 million litres (23.82 crore litres) of storage capacity.
The initiative aims to improve water conservation, ensure better utilisation of available water resources and meet the water requirements of railway operations, particularly amid concerns over a possible drought in Maharashtra and surrounding areas.
As part of the work, desilting was carried out across an approximate area of 300 metres by 198.5 metres, with an average depth of four metres. The operation also involved the removal of approximately 2.38 lakh cubic metres of silt, helping improve the reservoir’s condition and water quality.
The work included repairs to the intake well, plastering across an area of 100 square metres and pathway repairs covering 20 metres. These measures are expected to facilitate better maintenance and operation of the reservoir while supporting the effective utilisation of stored water.
The initiative is also in line with Railway Board directives on providing safe and clean water and action taken following a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on drinking water quality on the Railways.
{{/usCountry}}The initiative is also in line with Railway Board directives on providing safe and clean water and action taken following a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on drinking water quality on the Railways.
{{/usCountry}}“The reservoir improvement work was an important step towards strengthening water conservation and resource management in view of the impending drought situation, particularly in nearby areas. The increased storage capacity and repairs to the associated structures are expected to improve water availability for railway requirements and support more sustainable management of water resources,” said Hemant Kumar Behera, Pune railway division spokesperson.