A growing environmental and administrative storm is brewing in the heart of the city as the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) faces sharp criticism for converting a prime plot near Ambazari Lake into a makeshift garbage transfer station. The site, which reportedly belongs to Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University, has become a central dumping point for the Dharampeth Zone, leading to severe health concerns for residents in the area. According to local reports and environmental activists, the NMC has been using this centrally located land to consolidate waste collected from across the zone. Heavy vehicles and door-to-door collection vans dump massive quantities of refuse at this center spot’ before it is eventually shifted to the main city dumping yard at Bhandewadi.

 

However, sometimes the slow removal process has turned the area into a permanent eyesore, with stinking mounds of rotting waste attracting stray cattle and creating a foul odour that blankets nearby residential pockets. The most contentious aspect of this operation is the ownership of the land. While residents and university advocates claim the NMC is encroaching on university property, the civic body has historically struggled with land management in the Ambazari area. Initially, Prakash Gajbhiye, a political leader, had constructed a skating rink on that land but after the project turned into failure, NMC slowly encroached upon the place and used it as a small garbage station and now they have installed a shed to cover the area, swapping the open place into a massive dumping and transfer station. This situation mirrors previous disputes where the NMC attempted to use heritage agriculture land on North Ambazari Road for city bus parking and other civic utilities without proper sanctions.

 

The current unauthorised dumping yard is viewed by many as a breach of administrative rules, as officials are reportedly using low-lying city spots to dump debris and waste under the guise of filling dips. The Dharampeth Zone has recently been identified as having one of the highest numbers of garbage vulnerable points in the city. Residents living nearby the dump station report unbearable stench and an increase in mosquito-borne diseases. Political leaders and citizen groups have staged protests at the NMC headquarters, demanding the immediate closure of such mini-dumping yards. With the High Court recently directing the NMC to shift its primary dumping operations outside city limits, the presence of such a massive waste hub in a prime educational and recreational zone like Ambazari has become a focal point of public anger.