Nagpur: Garbage collection, drain cleaning, fogging operations, lake restoration, and even the capture of stray cattle and dogs could be affected in the coming days as the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) struggles to cope with the Centre's new diesel procurement norms that have disrupted its fuel supply mechanism.
Concerned over the impact on essential civic services, a delegation led by NMC deputy commissioner Rajesh Bhagat met district collector Kumar Ashirwad on Monday and sought immediate intervention. Civic officials warned that the new rules could not only increase fuel costs substantially but also hamper monsoon-related operations that rely heavily on diesel-powered machinery.
The issue arose after the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas issued a notification on June 11 restricting bulk procurement of diesel through retail outlets. Under the new norms, institutional and commercial consumers are barred from sourcing diesel from retail fuel stations beyond prescribed limits. Officials said purchases exceeding 200 litres would have to be sourced through commercial channels, where diesel costs around Rs140 per litre compared to the retail rate of nearly Rs98 per litre.
For the NMC, which consumes between 5,000 and 6,000 litres of diesel every day, the financial impact could be severe. The challenge is not merely financial. Until now, NMC's authorised fuel suppliers filled diesel bowser tankers that were used to refuel heavy machinery at worksites across the city. The Solid Waste Management Department alone requires nearly 2,000 litres of diesel daily to operate 24 tippers, 24 poclain machines, 10 JCBs, jetting machines, and other equipment deployed across the city's 10 zones. Diesel is also essential for cleaning and desilting 227 drains, operating dewatering pumps, maintaining sewer networks, and carrying out the ongoing Ambazari Lake clean-up drive.
Sources said the impact is already visible. Fogging operations in some areas have stopped due to fuel constraints, while the removal of water hyacinth from Ambazari Lake has slowed as machinery-dependent operations face refuelling difficulties. Officials fear that prolonged disruption could also affect nullah cleaning and flood-prevention works at a time when monsoon activity is intensifying.
The ripple effect may extend to waste collection services as well. Two private agencies engaged by NMC for door-to-door garbage collection consume nearly 4,000 litres of diesel daily to operate around 500 vehicles, including collection vans. Agency representatives have already approached NMC, expressing concerns over the viability of operations under the new norms.
During the meeting, collector Kumar Ashirwad clarified that the district administration cannot modify a Central government notification. However, he assured civic officials that the possibility of direct fuel supply through oil marketing companies would be explored. Municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar is expected to hold discussions with district authorities and petroleum company representatives on Tuesday to work out a solution.
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About the Author: Proshun Chakraborty is a seasoned journalist with over 25 years of experience in civic and urban affairs reporting. Currently Editor-Civic Affairs at The Times of India, Nagpur, he leads coverage on municipal governance, public infrastructure, traffic management, RTO affairs, and urban policy shifts. Proshun has built a trusted network across citizens, bureaucracy and political landscape. He is highly respected for his depth in civic journalism and unwavering commitment to public interest reporting. His hobbies include reading, listening to music and travelling.
