The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has taken decisive action after learning about the chronic flooding crisis affecting three residential societies in the city for nearly 15 years. The court initiated suo motu proceedings on Wednesday following a detailed news report that highlighted the severe backwater flooding from Sonegaon Lake.
Court's Immediate Intervention
A division bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Rajnish Vyas recognized the urgency of the situation and declared that the news report would be treated as a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The bench emphasized that authorities must take immediate measures to prevent similar flooding situations in the future and appointed Advocate Sandip Marathe as amicus curiae to investigate the matter.
The court has given Marathe a strict four-week deadline to visit the affected areas, assess the residents' hardships firsthand, and submit a comprehensive report detailing the ground situation and potential solutions.
Residents' 15-Year Struggle
The flooding problem has persisted for nearly a decade and a half, repeatedly affecting Prasad, Mamta, and Paradise residential societies. This year's monsoon season brought the crisis to a head once again, with homes inundated by knee-deep water both inside and outside the buildings.
Residents described heartbreaking scenes of floodwater spreading from drawing rooms to kitchens, damaging essential household items, furniture, and food grains. Many families were forced to stay awake throughout the night, desperately trying to drain water from their homes. The situation became so dire that numerous residents had to seek shelter with relatives as the streets outside transformed into dangerous, waterlogged passages.
Health Hazards and Wildlife Threats
The chronic flooding has created multiple secondary crises that compound residents' suffering. Stagnant water has become a breeding ground for snakes and insects that frequently enter homes, creating constant safety concerns. Clogged drains emit foul odors and create unhygienic conditions that residents say directly impact their health and wellbeing.
The recurring nature of the flooding has turned what should be safe residential spaces into hazardous zones where families must constantly prepare for the next inundation. The psychological toll of living with this uncertainty for 15 years has been immense, with residents expressing relief that the court has finally taken notice of their prolonged ordeal.
The Nagpur Improvement Trust, represented by lawyer Girish Kunte, has accepted the notice issued by the court. The bench specifically noted that the matter came to their attention solely because of the published news report, underscoring the importance of media in bringing such critical issues to judicial notice.
This court intervention represents the first significant institutional step toward finding a permanent solution to a problem that has plagued these Nagpur communities for nearly a generation. Residents now hope that coordinated civic measures, including drainage system redesign and improved lake-overflow management, will finally materialize after years of neglect.
