Nagpur: As the C20 summit approaches on March 20, the civic administration is busy preparing for the event, but residents of north Nagpur are facing a different issue. Sewage water has been entering many homes in the area, causing a health hazard. On Friday, approximately 200 residents from Samta Nagar, Kamgar Nagar, Rajgruha Nagar, and Shende Nagar protested by storming the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) headquarters in Civil Lines. The police had to use force to disperse the protesters, and some Youth Congress workers were detained.
Former Congress corporators Neha Nikose and Dinesh Yadav led the protesters. They claimed that the NMC and government only prioritize west and southwest Nagpur, neglecting other parts of the city, including basic civic amenities. Yadav admitted that many residents had encroached on the conservancy lines, causing blockages that have become a significant problem for NMC’s public health engineering department. The NMC’s Ashi Nagar zone had issued notices to property owners who had encroached on the sewer line, but later did nothing about it.
Nikose pointed out that north Nagpur residents pay government taxes but receive poor treatment when it comes to basic amenities such as pothole-free roads, functioning street lights, and a good sewage network. She explained that roads are in poor condition, street lights do not illuminate during the night, sewage water is contaminating drinking water, and cases of dengue fever have increased.
The delegation met with Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B, who assured them that their problems would be resolved without delay. Nikose urged the commissioner to accelerate the process of providing house-to-house water connections in Samta Nagar without any further delay. Drinking water lines have been laid in various locations, but they have not yet reached some areas, forcing people to search for drinking water. Nikose suggested that NMC provide installment options for residents seeking drinking water connections.
