Nagpur

Futala Musical Fountain Set For Nov Finish In New Avatar | Nagpur News


Nagpur: The long-awaited Futala Musical Fountain, which remained defunct for nearly two years following court interventions, is now targeted for completion by Nov. The international team leading the restoration said the fountain, at one of the city’s iconic landmarks, is being reimagined rather than repaired and reopened.In an exclusive interview with TOI, European project head Basile de Schrynmakers and Emmy Award-winning cinematographer Alphonse Roy, the project’s technical director, said the fountain is taking shape as an entirely new concept. From replacing cables and nozzles to redesigning the fountain show, creating new animations on Nagpur’s history and introducing projection mapping, almost every aspect is being rebuilt rather than restored.

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Unlike the earlier version, the new production will combine multiple projection techniques to create an immersive audio-visual experience across the waterfront, Roy said.A key question surrounding the restoration was why the fountain’s systems deteriorated within such a short period, why their replacement is taking months, and whether the upgraded network can withstand the same conditions this time. Basile, who has also worked on the Dubai Water Canal Waterfalls, attributed the delays largely to the months-long closure, saying extended exposure to water and weather had rendered much of the electrical and communication network unusable. “One of the biggest challenges stemmed from the shutdown, necessitating an extensive revamp rather than simple repairs,” he told TOI.To ensure the installation remains durable, the project team consulted IIT Bombay while redesigning the underground cable network. Project management consultant Satish Salpekar said stronger three-layer insulated cables were recommended for the electrical, communication and control systems after detailed studies of the site’s operating conditions. The upgraded network, stretching 80km to 100 km, connects projectors, lighting, pumps, control units and other equipment across the lakefront. Since the consignments arrived in batches, every section had to be laid, joined, insulated and tested before being routed through underground ducts and underwater passages.Basile said the installation demanded exceptional precision. “Every joint had to be sealed with extreme precision, as even minor water ingress could compromise the entire system over time. The larger diameter and increased weight of the cables also meant redesigning portions of the underground conduit network and adopting more meticulous installation procedures, adding significantly to the project’s execution time while ensuring a more robust and reliable system for the years ahead.With restoration work progressing steadily, the fo cus over the coming months will be on completing remai ning installations, integra ting visual programming and conducting multiple techni cal trials ahead of Futala Mu sical Fountain’s reopening.

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