Nagpur: A week after the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) desilted the Nalanda Nagar nullah ahead of the monsoon, tonnes of excavated sludge continue to lie dumped along the roadside. This raises fears that the mud and garbage could be washed straight back into the drain during the first spell of heavy rain.
Sludge Heaps on Roadside
The sludge heaps, containing silt, mud, plastic waste and other debris removed from the drain, have been piled along the road adjoining the concrete-lined nullah. With the monsoon already setting in over the city, residents fear that even a moderate downpour could carry the material back into the channel, reducing its carrying capacity and increasing the risk of flooding.
Importance of the Nalanda Nagar Nullah
The Nalanda Nagar nullah originates near Barahkoli and passes through Bharat Company area, Chaitanya Nagar, Nalanda Nagar and Kamgar Nagar before joining the Pili River. It serves as a crucial stormwater drain for several densely populated localities.
Official Response
Deputy commissioner Ganesh Rathod, who is also holding charge of assistant commissioner Ashi Nagar zone, assured TOI of taking action in this regard.
Concerns from Former Corporator
Former corporator Manoj Sangole said he had repeatedly brought the matter to the notice of the Ashi Nagar Zone but no action had been taken. "The desilting work was carried out, but the excavated material has been left on the roadside for days. If it gets washed back into the nullah, the entire purpose of the exercise will be defeated and public money will literally go down the drain," he said.
Residents' Fears and Past Flooding
Residents recalled that the locality suffered severe flooding last year when the same nullah overflowed during heavy rains. Several houses were inundated, causing damage to household belongings and forcing residents to spend days cleaning up after the floods.
Voices from the Community
- Karuna Sangolkar said the civic administration appeared to have abandoned the work midway. "The sludge should have been lifted immediately after desilting. Instead, it has been lying here for days. Once heavy rains begin, much of it may end up back inside the drain," she said.
- Ravikant Meshram said residents were worried because authorities seemed to have ignored lessons from last year's flooding. "People suffered huge losses when water entered homes. We expected preventive measures this year, but what we are seeing is negligence," he said.
- Kanchan Kapse said the unattended sludge heaps were creating both inconvenience and anxiety among residents. "Apart from narrowing the road and creating unhygienic conditions, the dumped material poses a direct threat to the effectiveness of the desilting work," she said.
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