Three years on, the dug up stretch opposite Santra Market gate near Nagpur Railway Station has devolved from an inconvenience into a civic disgrace, one that now serves as the first impression of the city for thousands of rail passengers each day. Travellers deboarding at platform number eight of Nagpur Railway Station step out into stench, garbage, and disorder. Rotting waste, stray animals, and an overpowering foul smell dominate the road, sharply contradicting the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) ongoing push for high-visibility beautification projects. Local vendors, in conversation with ‘The Hitavada’, questioned the logic of investing heavily in cosmetic upgrades, while failing to uphold something as fundamental as sanitation in one of the city’s busiest areas.

 

The neglect becomes even harder to justify given that ‘The Hitavada’ had highlighted the issue on November 27, 2025, calling for action as the road is not just an eyesore, but a health hazard as well. For some, the consequences are more than just logistical. They are reputational. Piyushree Borkar recalled her embarrassment when her cousins visiting from abroad encountered the stretch.

 

“I wanted them to explore the local markets and see the real Nagpur. We travelled by metro, but the moment they got down at the Nagpur Railway Station stop, the sight and stench were so disgusting for them that they wanted to leave immediately,” she said. “I felt ashamed. This kind of apathy only strengthens the negative stereotypes foreigners often hold about India.” While talking to a Supervisor at the construction site of the railway station’s new building nearby, he denied the role of his company for dumping construction waste on the road stretch. It is clearly showing that all authorities are passing the baton to avoid the responsibility of garbage dumping.

 

The land falls under NMC’s Mangalwari Zone, and Suresh Khare, Zonal Chief Sanitation Officer clarified, “We regularly clean up the area, sometimes more than once a day, but some local vendors repeatedly dump garbage there. We have issued notices to the defaulters, even cattle owners who allow stray cattle to roam there throughout the day, but since the situation has not improved, we will work with the Nuisance Detection Squad (NDS) and ensure the situation is handled immediately.” With most of the excavated portion unusable, traffic is forced onto a single narrow lane. Worse, a large pit has been dug up on the cemented road beneath the metro station, without any signage or barricades, further increasing the risk of mishaps. During peak hours, vehicles crawl forward while pedestrians wade dangerously through the congestion, turning what should be a routine approach to a major railway station into a stressful and potentially hazardous experience. What stands out most is not merely the physical deterioration of the stretch, but the administrative vacuum surrounding it. In a location with constant movement and visibility, the continued neglect raises an uncomfortable question: If this is the welcome extended to visitors arriving in the city, who exactly is responsible for safeguarding Nagpur’s public face?