To prevent fatal mishaps and facilitate unhindered storm-water drainage, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has finalised a comprehensive plan to remove rampant encroachments along an eight-foot-deep nullah in Boriyapura and construct a protective retaining wall fitted with wire mesh, with civil works scheduled to commence within 10 days. The targeted drainage corridor, stretching behind KGN Hotel from Bakramandi in Mominpura to Motibagh culvert under Prabhag 8 (Gandhibagh Zone), has long posed serious safety and public health hazards. An official release issued on October 29 by the Zonal Solid Waste Management Department to the Executive Engineer (Public Works) underscored that illegal permanent and temporary structures built directly along the nullah banks have blocked civic sanitation squads from dredging out accumulated silt, mud, and floating debris.

 

Chronic choking has led to wastewater stagnation, pungent odour, and recurring risks of contaminated water entering into nearby homes. The hazardous condition of the drain became a matter of acute public concern recently when a child accidentally slipped into the eight-foot-deep, unprotected trench along the constricted walkway, narrowly escaping tragedy thanks to prompt intervention by alert residents. Emphasising the necessity of the permanent solution, local corporator and Standing Committee member Wasim Khan stated, “This intervention is not just about desilting, but fundamentally about securing human lives and preventing fatal accidents. We deferred anti-encroachment action during the rainy season to spare residents hardship, but the groundwork to clear bottlenecks and build the safety wall will now commence within ten days.”

 

Under the proposed plan, the civic body will launch a targeted anti-encroachment drive to reclaim original alignment of the nullah. Following the clearance of unauthorised projections, the Public Works Department (PWD) will erect a two-foot-high concrete boundary wall surmounted by sturdy iron wire netting. This barrier is designed to safeguard pedestrians, especially children playing in the dense settlement, while also preventing open littering into the waterway.