Nagpur’s traffic signals have turned into hotspots of distress for commuters, as they are persistantly harassed by groups of beggars approaching vehicles the moment the lights turn red. In the absence of action on the part of the Nagpur city police and the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), citizens have become victims of daily harassment by beggars, while officials of both authorities have turned a blind eye to the growing menace. At various busy signals across the city, drivers say they are surrounded, have their windows tapped or banged on and are repeatedly asked for money in a coercive and at times, threatening manner.

 

The issue had briefly come under control last year. In January 2025, city police initiated action to remove beggars from major signals. The drive brought temporary relief, but the situation has since reverted and the same patterns are now visible across several parts of the city. A concerned citizen reached out to The Hitavada, sharing her experience, “I have experienced annoying behaviour from beggars at Janta Square and the area around it. They bang on the glass windows of cars loudly for money and don’t allow cars to cross the signals. I was with my baby in the car and they banged on the glass so hard and blocked my way that I was frightened.

 

They have become a nuisance for the public, and I could not find a single traffic police officer on that stretch.” Disha Mehta, another citizen said, “I was on my two-wheeler once on the Alankar Talkies Chowk near Traffic Park, when a child, no more than five years old, started asking for money. I was not carrying any cash at the time so I politely told the child to go away. However, she refused and after insisting for money, she went and stood in front of my two-wheeler tyre and sat on the mud guard. I couldn’t move when the signal turned green, until a nearby tea stall owner noticed me and came to help me.” Apart from this, Ayushi Patle has faced a similar issue at Munje Square. “At a signal, a beggar came and put soapy water on our car windshield.

 

My father, who was driving, rolled down the windows and asked him not to do it. He ignored my father and took out a plastic broom with rough bristles and scrubbed the windshield, even as Papa repeatedly honked and asked him not to do it. Then he washed away the soap with dirty water and started banging on the car window for money. Fortunately we were in a car so we could leave easily. When we’d driven a little further, my father noticed that the windshield was damaged. The entire right side was scratched and there was a long crack in the bottom right corner because the boy had put too much pressure while rubbing it with the broom,” she said. With such incidents being reported from multiple locations, citizens are now questioning the sustainability of short-term enforcement drives.