War stalls French team visit for Futala fountain revival | Nagpur News

Nagpur: The US-Israel-Iran conflict is preventing the French technical team from travelling to India, thereby delaying the long-awaited revival of the Futala fountain project, officials said.The project, conceived by Union minister Nitin Gadkari, was revived after a Supreme Court ruling cleared a legal hurdle. However, the the advanced fountain system can be started only critical repair works, which are to be carried out after inspection by the team of technical experts from France. Officials from MahaMetro and the contractor firm said that the timeline of the team’s visit remains uncertain due to the war.The fountain, designed as a major tourist attraction featuring a musical fountain, light displays, and a laser multimedia show, was built at a cost of around Rs50 crore. But the system failed even before its planned inauguration in May 2023, primarily due to damage to cables caused by algae accumulation. Subsequent inspections, including those conducted by Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, confirmed the need for extensive repairs. Authorities estimate that restoration could cost over Rs10 crore, with new wiring already transported to Nagpur and preparatory arrangements underway near the lake.While core technical repairs remain pending, local work has resumed. Khadatkar Construction Studio One, the contractor, has begun preliminary tasks, including cable replacement planning and beautification of the surrounding area. “The remaining repair work will only proceed after the French team arrives,” officials said.