Government spends a lot of public money for beautification or for creating public utility spaces, but citizens show scant regard to maintaining the required decorum at such spots, leaving a bad taste in the mouth. The Health Street project of Nagpur Municipal Corporation from VNIT gate in Abhyankar Nagar Square to Bajaj Nagar Square, originally meant to facilitate pedestrians, saw spending of Rs 315 crore. It was meant to provide citizens with safe, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing public spaces for leisurely walks, jogging and cycling. But the street has now turned into a hot-spot for smokers that is defeating the very purpose of the project within months of its completion. In a major move to reclaim public spaces for pedestrians and residents, the Nagpur authorities officially designated the popular stretch from Bajaj Nagar Square to the VNIT Gate as No-Smoking Zone.

 

Effective immediately, any individual found lighting up in public on this beautified walkway would face an on-the-spot fine. The decision follows months of mounting tension in the area. Once a quiet residential road, the recently developed footpath had transformed into a chaotic hub for ‘unruly’ gatherings. Residents of nearby buildings frequently complained about groups of youngsters loitering at stalls on the footpath, creating a nuisance through open smoking, tobacco spitting and blocking lane entrances. “Youngsters gather here in broad daylight and during the peak evening when the families were supposed to frequent the area.

 

They light up cigarettes standing near the tea stalls. Due to smoke old age citizens suffer and not just that, but the littering is also a major issue, which requires urgent attention. All because of the stalls on the footpath selling cigarettes in open, this attracts smokers to create an unfriendly environment for the families which reside or the people who came to walk on the footpath,” a resident said, while explaining the repercussions they face while living in the area. Police officials said that the beautified stretch was created for citizens to relax and recreate, but the intent was being defeated by rampant smoking, which is now a major nuisance. The police decided to enforce the law strictly under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, which prohibits smoking in public access areas. The Bajaj Nagar Police have already intensified patrolling, particularly during the peak hours of 7 pm to 10 pm. Police personnel are not registering criminal cases, but issuing on-the-spot challans to deter smokers.

 

They have already cleared that smoking is permitted only in designated smoking zones or pan shops, which are far away from public spaces. While locals have welcomed the move, many remain cautious. “It is impossible for women and senior citizens to step out in the evening due to the smoke and use of foul and abusive language,” said Durgesh, a local resident. The residents are now urging the NMC authorities to also remove the illegal stalls that provide a platform for these gatherings, ensuring the stretch remains a safe, clean space for walkers.