Monsoon preparedness fact-check Sewage spilling from stormwater drain on Pipla Rd

 

 

 

Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) claimed that it has completed the cleaning and desilting work of rivers, nullahs and stormwater drainage systems in city before the commencement of Southwest Monsoon. However, the reality of the cleaning process narrates a different story, raising concern about urban flooding in coming days. The newly-constructed cement road on Pipla Road near R S Lawn is a perfect example of sheer ignorance by the civic administration as the stormwater drainage is spilling sewage for last 3-4 days and no efforts are put in by the NMC to stop the sewage, flowing directly on road and entering nearby residences. For the last two years, after construction of the cement road, the flooding has become a common phenomena after heavy rains.

 

Despite frequent flooding during monsoon, the administration is demonstrating its ignorance towards the Pipla Road area, which is densely populated. NMC laid new stormwater drainage along with cement road throughout the stretch of the road till Pipla village, but the sewage leaking from the stormwater drain points to the lapses in the execution of the project. Sanjay Thaokar, a resident near R S Lawn said, “We are shocked over how sewage is coming our from stormwater drain, constructed for smooth movement of rain water during monsoon. In morning hours, the sewage is directly coming out on the road from the drain and entering our houses.

 

We registered complaint about this with the NMC and some people are working on the issue, but every morning, we are facing the same bad smell and grey water,” said Thaokar. The stormwater drain is connected to a tributary (nullah) of Pohra River, which is hardly 500 metres away from the road stretch. The tributary nullah of Pohra River indicates the apathy of the administration as it is yet be cleaned by NMC and after heavy rains, the nullah will cause water-logging in nearby localities during monsoon. The tall claims of NMC about cleaning of rivers and nullahs in the city are only visible in those areas visible from roads and those areas situated deep inside residential areas and not easily visible, remain full of garbage and mud. The nullah over the Pipla Road is also awaiting a cleanliness drive by the concerned authority.