The Ruling Party Leader in NMC Dayashankar Tiwari has said that those who have encroached banks of rivers and nallahs in city would be accommodated once the houses under the ambitious schemes are completed, unmindful of the laid down criteria of the ambitious scheme.
Nagpur: In a statement mocking the Pradhan Mantri Pradhan Mantri Housing for All Scheme 2022, the Ruling Party Leader in NMC Dayashankar Tiwari has said that those who have encroached banks of rivers and nallahs in city would be accommodated once the houses under the ambitious schemes are completed. “Nadi kinare atikramankari khud-bi-khud hat jayenge….” (River bank encroachers would automatically get removed) once all the proposed houses under the scheme are completed, Tiwari said obviously unaware of the fact that the Government of India would be granting a subsidy to beneficiaries with an interest of 6.5 percent on housing loans. The subsidy amount may range from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.50 lakh. It clearly means the houses would not be allotted free of cost as Tiwari made out to be.
Tiwari was reviewing and monitoring the 28-day drive the NMC had launched to clean rivers, nallahs and spread awareness about conservation of water bodies. The drive was started on May 9 and will culminate on June 5, World Environment Day. “Funds in massive proportions are needed to clean the rivers in which garbage, waste and filthy material are being dumped since years. Assistance from Central Government has been sought to clean the rivers. Once the funds are received the work of cleaning the water bodies in city could be undertaken in a big way,” Tiwari stated.
He, however, refused to comment on how much cleaning of Nag Nadi, Pili Nadi and Pohra Nadi has been done so far during the drive. “I am neither administration nor a scientist to pinpoint the percent of cleaning of rivers,” he said and added that the drive is culminating on June 5 to mark World Environment Day. “Following the massive drive to clean the rivers, there would be less problem of flooding and other related perils during the coming monsoon,” Tiwari asserted.
Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) is supporting the drive by deploying its machines and manpower.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has also handed over an excavator. Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Limited too has given one machine. During the drive, a stretch of 42 km of all three rivers was undertaken for cleansing work. Even though the campaign is ending on June 5, the cleaning work will go on. In all 13 poclain machines have been deployed and approximately 80 percent of targeted job has been done. “Cooperation of citizens is must to maintain cleanliness of rivers, nallahs and other water bodies in the city. The citizens too have to take responsibility so that the water bodies remain cleaned round the year and not just during the drives,” Tiwari stressed.
By Rajeev Ranjan Kushwaha (rajeev.nagpurtoday@gmail.com)
