Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) ambitious ‘Garden Mitra’ initiative, once hailed as a revolutionary step towards community-driven urban forestry, has officially been put on hold following reports of operational misconduct and administrative neglect. Launched with the vision of involving environment-conscious citizens in the maintenance and protection of the city’s green cover, the initiative initially saw an enthusiastic response from hundreds of local residents who volunteered to serve as guardians of Nagpur’s public parks.

 

The scheme was designed to bridge the gap between the civic body’s limited manpower and the vast requirement for garden maintenance. During September 2024, approximately 600 citizens registered as ‘Garden Mitras,’ were assigned to the 33 big gardens, receiving official identity cards and the authority to report vandalism or the drying up of plants in their respective neighborhoods. However, the momentum has significantly shifted. When questioned about the current status of the project, Amol Chaurpagar, Garden Superintendent, NMC, involved in the co-ordination, confirmed the decision of administration to put the scheme on hold as a review is under way.

 

The scheme is currently on hold. We are evaluating the previous framework and intend to recruit more members soon under a more supervised and structured format,” he stated. The reason could be a breach of trust that occurred last year. According to Sandeep Selokar, an official from the NMC Garden Department, a critical incident in 2025 served as the turning point for the administration’s enthusiasm. “In 2025, we recorded a disturbing incident where individuals wearing official ‘Garden Mitra’ identity cards were caught illegally cutting small plants and young trees instead of protecting them. Since that event, the Corporation have put the entire initiative on hold to prevent further misuse of the department’s credentials for unauthorised activities,” Selokar informed. The current deadlock has left genuine environmental activists in the city disappointed. While the NMC explores a more rigorous vetting process for future volunteers, the city’s gardens continue to face maintenance challenges. For the scheme to be revived, the civic body must implement a robust monitoring system to ensure that the title of ‘Garden Mitra’ is used solely for the betterment of the city’s green lungs rather than personal or unauthorised gains.