A day after the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court expressed grave concern over blatant infrastructure violations and law enforcement failures on prime Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) land in East Shankar Nagar, a Times of India recce of the area revealed systematic violations along a key nullah stretch. Large portions of a natural drainage channel have been covered and cemented to facilitate access to eateries, hostels, and seedy booze bars.
Court Directives Ignored
Supreme Court and High Court directives have strictly prohibited construction activity on nullahs, water bodies, and buffer zones to prevent urban flooding and environmental damage. Courts mandate zero-tolerance and ordered demolition of structures built on watercourses. The pattern of encroachment begins just before Bajaj Nagar Square, where a left turn leads into East Shankar Nagar. The nullah, flowing from the West Shankar Nagar side, crosses West High Court Road and within a few metres takes a sharp left near Bharat Lawn. At this point, the first illegal bridge has been constructed over the channel, providing entry to establishments that have a roaring business.
Multiple Illegal Bridges
A few metres ahead, a second bridge has been built to facilitate access to a girls' hostel, a well-known eatery, and a prominent dhaba. Beyond this point, the nullah vanishes, as it is covered with concrete slabs and pipes. At a sprawling wedding lawn nearby, the water channel is buried. A caretaker, Ramesh Tiwari, confirmed that cement concrete pipes were laid to cover the nullah, effectively erasing its natural course. Barely 50 metres of the nullah flowing through a 400-metre stretch is open. The rest is bridged or obliterated, raising concerns over obstruction of natural drainage ahead of the monsoon.
Pollution and Hygiene Issues
Where the channel is visible, it is heavily contaminated. The nullah is choked with empty liquor bottles, plastic waste, and food debris. After passing through these encroached stretches, the channel re-emerges near the Kachipura slum before merging with the Nag River behind Dharampeth College. On the opposite side of a garden maintained by the Nagpur Improvement Trust in East Shankar Nagar, tin retaining walls along the nullah were found smashed at two locations. Residents allege these gaps are deliberately kept open and used as escape routes during police raids.
Nightlife and Encroachments
The area, residents say, undergoes a drastic transformation after dark. Internal lanes of East Shankar Nagar turn into makeshift parking zones, with vehicles lining both sides of the road. Loud music, late-night gatherings, and liquor consumption continue till dawn, severely impacting life in what was once a quiet locality. Another growing concern flagged by both residents and slum dwellers is pig rearing along the nullah. Pigs were seen feeding on garbage dumped into the drain, worsening hygiene conditions. 'The stench, the filth, and risk of disease have risen,' said a resident.
Land-Use Violations
The violations extend beyond civic encroachments to land-use irregularities. Large portions of land in the Kachipura belt belong to PDKV, where commercial activity is restricted. Residents allege many of these establishments have expanded over the years by taking advantage of legal stays on demolition drives. Despite notices issued by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation on illegal construction, enforcement has often been delayed or inconsistent. During rains, the nullah overflows, flooding nearby areas and creating unbearable living conditions. Adding to the concerns, a substation by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company has reportedly been constructed over portions of the nullah, further restricting its natural flow.
Residents recall that two decades ago, the nullah marked the boundary between East Shankar Nagar and open agricultural land. Today, that landscape has been replaced by illegal commercial activity. Efforts to contact Dharampeth zone officials failed.
