Fed-up with callous authorities and unresponsive political leadership towards their sufferings owing to unplanned development, citizens in large numbers hit the streets, on Sunday. With their cup of woes spilling over, citizens resorted to mass agitation in the form of a protest march to highlight their grievances. Now, the problems are not localised. The entire city is gripped by the same set of issues, haphazard development, vanishing of drains with parallel increase in height of concrete roads and most of all depleting green cover. Hundreds of citizens, including prominent politicians, environmentalists, social activists, senior citizens, students, and social media influencers took to the streets to register their anguish. Under the banner of Green Nagpur Group, the protest march commenced from Gandhi Putla at Variety Square whereas it concluded at Samvidhan Square. Participants were equipped with banners and placards and chanted slogans to express their frustration with the city’s unplanned infrastructure. This is the first time that citizens sans political affiliations took to street to highlight their sufferings. For people there are no option as various agencies engaged in development work in second capital of State seems to work in isolation with little respect for each other's concern and in such mess it's the people who are sandwiched.

 

The citizens were demanding better planning, quality construction, and accountability from the administration, in short a say of theirs in what their city should look like in the future. Protesters showed their anger in form of banners and slogans against the faulty cement roads which causing water logging everywhere in city and poor construction of city roads which causing road accidents throughout the city. This event marks the beginning of a determined fight for a better Nagpur city, as the community unites to demand significant improvements and transparency in the city’s development projects. Many participants showed their protest with helmets symbolising the bad condition of city roads that giving a feel of off-roading for commuters. The protesters also placed concrete sacks at Samvidhan Chowk expressing a symbolic protest against the concrete roads. Local newspapers including ‘The Hitavada’, social media influencers, environment activists and others are raising the issue of bad condition of roads and the issues due to cement roads in city time to time.

 

People of Nagpur are now fed-up of the ignorance by the local authorities and to show their stern opposition citizens conducted the march cum agitation. In recently held ‘Janata Darbar’ of Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari was also dominated by the issues related with cement roads and poor condition of city roads. At Samvidhan Chowk, a public meeting was held where politicians of different parties, environment activists and environment experts addressed the protesters and pressed the demand of no cement roads in city any more and quick maintenance of city roads which is now in poor condition. The green campaigners had placed cement bags at Samvidhan Square as a symbol of their protest, saying the citizens are fed up of concrete element in city and suggested that it should be taken back. It was meant to put pressure on administration to scrap concrete road policy as it is causing ecological disturbance in one of the greenest city of the country.

 

Green Nagpur Group also initiated a social media campaign to attract more citizens against the mindless development projects in the city and the Group is getting good support from everywhere. Despite good support from citizens, there were some disagreement on thoughts were also happened for a while on social media between some protesters which was solved latter on. “It is the high time and every citizen of Nagpur should come forward to raise their voice against the mindless development of the city. We have come up with a memorandum with four demands which we will handover to District Collector and Municipal Commissioner soon,” said green activist Jaideep Das. “We are pressing the demand of no cement roads any more in city. We are clear on thoughts and we will continue our protest on this way. We suggest the civic body to first solve the drainage issue in city then think to construct more roads,” said Das. We have very less green cover left in city and it is the time when the administration should stop all unplanned infrastructure projects like subways, malls etc. to maintain the remaining green patches, he added. Our third point in the memorandum is to stop rampant tree felling which is going on in city. There are more than 2,500 proposals of tree felling before the garden department in city.

 

The garden department is allowing tree felling without considering the plights of citizens who want to conserve these trees, Das added. The fourth demand which the people are raising that administration should involve citizens in planning which is directly effecting the city. “The local administration stopped public involvement in city planning which is a bad step. Even the High Court also asked civic bodies to involve citizens on infrastructure planning and the administration should follow it,” said the green activist.