Nagpur: The return of elected representatives to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) after four years of administrator rule appears to have done little to ease citizens' civic woes. Official data shows public complaints have risen sharply since the General Body was restored in the second fortnight of January.
Complaint Data Analysis
Between January 1 and May 31, 2025, when the civic body functioned under an administrator, citizens lodged 16,362 complaints through NMC's grievance redressal system. During a comparable period from January 1 to June 4, 2026, after elected corporators resumed office, complaints surged to 23,444, an increase of 7,082 grievances, or more than 43%.
Sanitation Remains Primary Concern
Sanitation remained the biggest source of complaints. The health sanitation department received 7,018 complaints in 2025, which jumped to 11,851 in 2026 — an increase of nearly 69%. The rise highlights persistent problems in garbage collection, roadside cleanliness, overflowing bins, and waste disposal despite repeated claims of improved sanitation management.
Other Departments Also Affected
The increase was visible across other departments as well. Electrical complaints rose from 1,472 in 2025 to 2,448 in 2026. Water works complaints increased from 1,301 to 1,684, while public works grievances climbed from 1,881 to 2,319. Encroachment-related complaints also rose from 943 to 1,074.
Questions Over Civic Service Delivery
The figures raise uncomfortable questions about civic service delivery after the return of elected governance. While residents expected greater accountability with corporators back in office, the volume of complaints indicates that routine civic issues remain unresolved across departments.
Poor Redressal Performance
The sanitation department also emerged as one of the poorest performers in timely grievance redressal. Of the 11,851 complaints received in 2026, only 6,306 were resolved within the stipulated service deadline, while 2,428 were closed after breaching the prescribed service-level agreement (SLA). Hundreds remained under process or were reopened by dissatisfied citizens.
Bureaucratic Delays
Another concerning trend was the growing number of transferred complaints. Nearly 3,000 grievances were shifted between departments in 2026, often forcing residents to navigate bureaucratic delays before their issues reached the appropriate authority.
Monsoon Challenges Ahead
With monsoon-related challenges looming and sanitation, roads, water supply, and electrical issues continuing to dominate grievance charts, the data paints a troubling picture of a city still struggling to deliver basic municipal services.
NMC Grievance Comparison (Departments):
- Sanitation: 7,018 (2025) to 11,851 (2026) — +4,833
- Electrical: 1,472 to 2,448 — +976
- Public Works: 1,881 to 2,319 — +438
- Water Works: 1,301 to 1,684 — +383
- Encroachment: 943 to 1,074 — +131
- Malaria & Filaria: 715 to 1,120 — +405
- Total Complaints: 16,362 to 23,444 — +7,082
Overall Complaints: January-May 2025 (Administrator Rule): 16,362; January 1-June 4, 2026 (Elected General Body): 23,444; Increase: 7,082 complaints; Growth: 43.3%.
