Power cut halts pumps at 160 MLD Jalalpur plant
GWALIOR: A prolonged shutdown by the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board (MPEB) on August 16 interrupted power supply to the 160 MLD Jalalpur water treatment plant, municipal officials said, disrupting pumping operations and leaving 33 storage tanks across the city partly empty. The interruption is expected to leave several localities in Gwalior with reduced water pressure on Monday.
Executive Engineer Shishir Shrivastava of the Municipal Corporation’s water supply department said the plant’s pumps stopped when power was cut, preventing adequate volumes of treated water from reaching the city’s storage tanks. He added that the supply would continue during scheduled hours but at lower pressure in affected areas.
"Water supply will not be completely stopped, but several areas could receive water at low pressure during the scheduled supply hours," said Shishir Shrivastava.
Areas likely to be affected and municipal advisory
Municipal Corporation officials warned residents to make advance arrangements and conserve water until pumping is restored. The authority said it will attempt to operate the Jalalpur plant at full capacity once MPEB restores power and will then work to refill the storage tanks.
- Localities likely to see reduced pressure: DD Nagar, Adityapuram, Pinto Park, Meera Nagar, Sharda Vihar, Risala Bazaar, Hurawali, Kunj Vihar, Jaderua, Adarsh Nagar, BSF Colony, RKBM, Darpan Colony, Collectorate and Scindia Nagar.
- Other zones: Several areas in Murar and Thatipur are also expected to experience low pressure.
- Operational response: Municipal Corporation to restart pumping at full capacity once MPEB restores supply and then prioritise filling storage tanks.
Immediate consequences and context for residents
The stoppage of pumping at a major treatment plant affects not only pressure but also the ability to meet peak demand. Storage tanks that remained underfilled during the shutdown will need time to recover to their normal levels even after power resumes. That may prolong low-pressure conditions into the following supply cycles.
Municipal engineers noted the plant treats 160 million litres per day (MLD) and feeds the city’s distribution network and local tanks; a disruption at this scale therefore affects multiple wards simultaneously. The municipal advisory underscores the need for temporary water management at household and community levels, particularly in densely populated localities and colonies listed above.
| Parameter | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Jalalpur plant capacity | 160 MLD |
| Storage tanks underfilled | 33 |
| Date of power interruption | 16 August |
What residents should do
- Store essential water for drinking and cooking in clean containers and avoid wasteful usage.
- Prioritise water for drinking, cooking and sanitation over non-essential uses like vehicle washing.
- Communities served by shared water sources such as overhead tanks or community taps should coordinate to ensure equitable distribution until normal supply resumes.
Officials said pumping will be restored to full capacity after MPEB resumes power to the treatment plant, after which municipal teams will work to fill the storage tanks and normalise supply. The Municipal Corporation did not provide a timeline for full restoration but urged residents to stay prepared for low-pressure supply during scheduled hours.
Local civic and health implications are particularly pertinent in the current season, when limited water availability can strain household sanitation and increase pressure on municipal resources. The municipal advisory and the stated operational response aim to reduce immediate hardships while engineering teams coordinate with MPEB for sustained power availability at the Jalalpur facility.
