Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday instructed Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) officials to create a master plan addressing drinking water supply, garbage disposal, and the sewage network. This directive follows numerous complaints from citizens, accusing civic officials of neglecting these essential services.
Nagpur’s civic issues once again came into focus as an all-party meeting criticized NMC officials for poor supervision and slow progress in addressing citizen complaints. Public representatives, including Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and five other MLAs and MLCs, assessed the city’s situation during a meeting at NMC Headquarters in Civil Lines on Friday. Key concerns included garbage management, drinking water supply, and sanitation.
In a rare display of unity, the ruling BJP invited Opposition MLAs Nitin Raut and Vikas Thakre to a review meeting at the NMC. BJP MLAs Krishna Khopde, Vikas Kumbhare, and Mohan Mate were also in attendance, along with State BJP President and MLC Chandrashekhar Bawankule, and MLC Pravin Datke. Former Ruling Party Leader Avinash Thakre and Bunty Kukde were also invited, as the gathering conducted a comprehensive review of the current civic situation.
Taking note of expansion of residential areas and new colonies on the outskirts, the all-party meeting stressed the need to update the master plan for drinking water supply, sanitation, and sewerage systems. The Public Health Engineering Department (PHE) faced scrutiny, with public representatives expressing dissatisfaction over the poor performance of two garbage collection agencies, which has led to worsening conditions on the ground.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari directed officials from the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) to draft a master plan for garbage collection, disposal, and upgrading the sewerage network. He also called for an updated plan to improve the drinking water supply, as many areas are still not connected to the pipeline network. Gadkari emphasized that the city’s aging sewerage system needs to be replaced, requiring thorough planning.
At the meeting, former Guardian Minister Nitin Raut asserted that his concerns about the neglect of North Nagpur were validated, as the area faces the most significant issues. He highlighted that NMC has failed to ensure proper garbage collection from households, and the drinking water supply remains inconsistent in several residential colonies.
Gadkari instructed officials to consider constructing roads at a cost of up to Rs 15 lakh per kilometer in colonies being regularized under the Gunthewari Act. He directed both the NMC and Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) to draft a proposal for this and submit it to the government. Additionally, Gadkari criticized the performance of two garbage collection agencies and urged NMC officials to take action against them. He also emphasized the need to accelerate the installation of new pipelines in areas without a network to ensure regular water supply for residents.
During the meeting, officials presented plans for the redevelopment of several key areas, including Cotton Market, Itwari Dahi Bazaar, Santra Market, Netaji Market, and Dik Dawakhana projects, to the Union Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. They also showcased a proposal for the redevelopment of Gokulpeth Market.
Shravan Hardikar, Managing Director of Maha Metro, and Sanjeev Meena, Chairman of NIT, attended the meeting along with officials from various agencies. The meeting lasted about an hour, focusing primarily on civic issues, though matters related to NIT were also on the agenda.