Nagpur: With daily rainfall continuing across Nagpur, thousands of vacant plots have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and disease-carrying insects, raising serious public health concerns. According to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) data, there are 1,13,648 open plots in the city, many of which are now filled with stagnant water and overgrown vegetation, creating ideal conditions for the spread of dengue, malaria, and other vector-borne diseases.
In response, the NMC had issued a public notice on July 4 through leading newspapers, giving all plot owners seven days to clean their properties. The notice also instructed owners to build boundary walls or fencing, install ‘No Dumping’ signs, and maintain hygiene standards to prevent public nuisance.
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However, as the deadline nears its end, most property owners have failed to act, sources said. With no cleanup in sight, NMC is reportedly preparing to register cases against defaulters.
Many of these vacant plots are now covered in dense bushes, with residents reporting frequent sightings of snakes and venomous insects. Citizens living near such plots have submitted complaints to NMC, demanding strict action against negligent owners.
Residents in areas adjacent to these open plots have already begun to report illness, adding urgency to the situation. A similar issue was witnessed last year, when NMC filed multiple cases against defaulters and conducted forced cleanups of several properties.
Highly affected zones
The most severely impacted zones include:
• Aasi Nagar Zone – 31,959 vacant plots
• Nehru Nagar Zone – 21,269 plots
• Lakadganj Zone – 15,387 plots
• Hanuman Nagar Zone – 15,234 plots
These areas, located along the city’s expanding boundaries, saw large investments in plots by high-income groups, many of whom never returned to maintain their properties. Now, these abandoned plots are putting the health of nearby residents at risk.
NMC’s 2024 survey highlights dangerous trends
As part of its Solid Waste Management Department’s 2024 survey, NMC discovered that:
• 30% of the vacant plots had uncontrolled plant growth
• 12% had accumulated water
• Many of these plots had turned into prime mosquito breeding sites
Following the survey, the civic body issued 772 notices to plot owners, resulting in the cleanup of 562 plots.
Public health activists and residents are now urging the NMC to launch another survey this year, hoping that a renewed crackdown will force owners to take responsibility and prevent a full-scale health crisis.
If immediate action is not taken, citizens warn that this monsoon could trigger a serious outbreak of vector-borne diseases, especially in densely populated neighbourhoods near neglected plots.
