Water-logging NMC turning Nelson’s Eye to North Nagpur

 

 

For residents of Pritam Vihar, a gated society near Automotive Square, and Kamgar Nagar, it seems as if time has stood still, and no thanks to authorities, who seem to overlook the pains they suffer in aftermath of rains every time. Since last 15 years, they are struggling to get a proper drainage to avoid water-logging during monsoon, as each time it rains, they have to scramble, most of the time in dead of night, for shifting their vehicles and parking them on higher reach. This is so as in absence of proper drainage network, the roads gets submerged under water. The overall approach to the issue signifies the standard that the babudom of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), it seems, to have set for residential localities in North Nagpur. While the more affluent and one visited by VIPs, the posh Western parts gleam and get costly make-over every other day, for the people in North Nagpur, however, even a genuine need to address the issue of draining out rainwater has fallen on deaf ears.

 

Several representations were given to officials at Ashi Nagar Zone, but their only refrain in that the project to lay drainage line required funds. It has been over 11 years since the people of Vasant Vihar and nearby Kamgar Nagar are trying to get across their suffering to the NMC officials. But nothing seems to be moving in the right direction for the people in and around Automotive Square who continue to bear the brunt, said a frustrated Adv Abhishek Kaliwale, who has been at his wits end trying to end the nightmare of 51 families in the colony and others in Kamgar Nagar. Himself a Secretary, North Nagpur Unit, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), Adv Kaliwale said, with passage of time there is need for reengineering the drainage channel in North Nagpur. But every time the residents submit a proposal to the Zone officials, they say, the project is costly and needed funds.

 

Adv Kaliwale said he has also met Municipal Commissioner but still the NMC officials are yet to prepare a comprehensive proposal for ending their woes. Having studied the issue quite deeply, Adv Kaliwale feels that the drainage channel that starts from near Lal Godam needs to be widened thoroughly where it meets the Pili Nadi. Suffice to say NMC needs to deal with heavy hand for removing encroachments on part of a plastic manufacturing unit, from where waste plastic particles are streamlining into the canal. Apart from that, the domestic waste is also reason for blocking of water flow in the channel, which results in water remaining accumulated in the colony. He also said just before the Automotive Square, one can see four tunnels through the which the water flow in the nullah but just after the square, the nullah’s width is mysteriously reduced.

 

Further, of the four tunnels, only two are visible and in the third one, a 11 KV underground power line passes through and hence the same is not cleaned in annual drive by NMC. As to fourth tunnel, it is not all visible, indicating the need for a thorough cleaning on the part of authorities. Even laying a new drainage line from Automotive Square can resolve the problem as water gushing into the low-lying Pritam Vihar and Kamgar Nagar can be stopped and avoid flooding the nearby areas. For years, the Government has been happy with distribution Rs 10,000 in annual aid to flood-hit and the colony residents are also the beneficiaries. Adv Kaliwale suggested to senior NMC officials that why can’t they use the same money to resolve the problem of water-logging in their society. But no answers are forthcoming from the officials.