See saw on environment front in 2025

 

 

ON ENVIRONMENT front, it was a seesaw year for Nagpur as the city witnessed both significant positive and negative developments throughout 2025. In ‘Swachh Survekshan 2024-25’, Nagpur city saw its ranking improve to the 27th position among 446 cities, up from 2024’s 86th. Despite this ranking improvement, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and environment experts raised question over the process of valuation, data accuracy and assessment methodology as the city scored only 30% in “Door to Door Collection of Waste” and 1% in “Source Segregation” categories. Whereas, Nagpur got 98% marks in “Door to Door Collection of Waste” and 100% marks in “Source Segregation” categories.

 

However, after raising objection on marking, the city’s score was improved by the Centre. Poor condition of lakes became a major concern for city as majority of lakes dried up due to lack of maintenance or some other reason. Whereas, the iconic Ambazari lake, which flooded the Naag river a couple of years ago, is still suffering with Eichhornia weeds menace. Thanks to intrusion of sewage in the lake from Wadi and MIDC sides, the weeds spread over the lake like a carpet and the authorities concerned have no clue to solve the issue. The government encroachment of Futala lake catchment area also came in limelight as the catchment area of the lake was walled by State agencies for construction. After couple of years, the NMC revived the local tree committee to decide the fate of trees and green cover of Nagpur city. Under the chairmanship of Municipal Commissioner Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari, local MLA, environment experts and NMC staffs were appointed in the committee.

 

Despite the tree committee, the illegal tree felling by Government and private agencies were marked throughout the year as environment activists raised many such illegal tree felling activities before the Garden Department of the NMC. The fly ash menace also once again surfaced to haunt residents of Koradi and Nagpur as another disastrous fly ash dumping area was in making in Nandgaon area. Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) allowed dumping of fly ash in Nandgaon and Bakhari villages as the Waregaon dumping yard is full to its limit. After the permission, the dumping of fly ash is underway by Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MahaGenco). After years of delay, Nagpur’s long-pending tree census also got underway in December. With the NMC rolling out a city-wide count using modern GIS and GPS technology, officials aim to get accurate data across all five zones within the next six months.