Six months since bhoomipujan, NMC forgets about woes of residents in Ambazari area
| Date :25-Apr-2019 |
By Sagar Mohod:
In aftermath of heavy rains, rain water gushes into homes for which a nullah was to be laid across North Ambazari road but work has still not started leaving citizens confused
For residents of Ambazari area, it may be yet another year of slip between cup and the lip. After having suffered year after year during rainy season due to gushing of rain water in their homes, there was a ray of hope when work finally got sanctioned to resolve the problem. The proverbial icing on the cake was when the customary ground breaking ceremony before starting of development work was undertaken in Prabhag 13 with much fanfare.
The people were hopeful that Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has finally taken pity on them and would do the needful to relive them of their annual stress, said N L Sawarkar, Secretary, Jansamsya Nivaran Samiti. They also hoped that they need not hold grudge against Rain God since their elected representatives has finally come to their aid. The solution devised by NMC was to dug a channel from Kasturba Layout and lay a drainage line across the North Ambazari Road. The idea was to drain out extra water gushing in the low lying area, it is located behind Dharampeth Science College, and empty it out in Nag Nullah that is ahead of the NIT’s swimming pool.
During monsoon the homes behind NIT’s Hall at North Ambazari Road, opp Swimming Pool, get cut off as no drainage line exists here though the colony dates back 30 to 35 years back. The topography of the area is bit awkward, a deeper pipeline was needed since long time to ensure that there is no water logging. There is a slope as one heads into the Ambazari area behind NIT’s hall from North Ambazari Road. Adding to problem as one moves towards Ambazari Hill Top the gradient of the road is upwards. That means now the water flows down from Hill Top and into Kasturba Layout and Samata Layout area as they were in existence much before all other development in their neighbourhood, explained Sawarkar further. He said they have been repeatedly petitioning NMC and their corporators but no one paid heed to problems of residents.
Finally the current establishment and rulers woke up but now owing to delay our hopes are permanently dashed, he said in a dejected tone. Now our feelings are slowly giving away to despair as on ground nothing has moved even an inch. From the date of Bhoomipujan nearly six months have lapsed and yet nothing has materialised, the Samiti has claimed. We had been petitioning civic body as well as our corporators but beyond assurance things have not moved forward. Even if the work is to start in immediate future, no one knows how long it will take to complete it.
Sawarkar said according to their information permission was obtained for cutting a channel through the North Ambazari Road, but still one does not know when NMC authorities will wake up from their slumber. Whenever the residents went on to meet the corporators, they were given assurances that work will start within a week or a fortnight. This has happened numerous times and God alone knows if this monsoon to the residents of Ambazari area would see flooding of their homes or will get relief from this perennial problem, said Sawarkar. When contacted it was told on behalf of Corporator Parinita Fuke that the work is on right track but it got stuck as a water pipeline was found in way of the proposed nullah for laying drainage line. Fuke’s representative said they have contacted senior NMC officials who visited the area and inspected the site and now the water pipeline is proposed to be laid further two metres deep to prevent its infringement with the drainage pipeline.