The foul smell emanating from the Bhandewadi dumping yard has turned into a round-the-clock ordeal for residents, sparking a heated confrontation during the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s general body meeting on Friday. Corporators raised sharp questions over who should be held accountable for the worsening situation.
Members from east and south Nagpur expressed strong concern, stating that the problem has been intensifying with little to no response from the administration. Several corporators alleged that despite repeated complaints over the past few months, no concrete steps have been taken to control the odour or improve waste processing at the site.
Raising the issue, BJP corporator Pradip Pohane said, “Earlier, the unbearable stench used to spread mostly during evenings. Now the situation has worsened so much that residents are forced to suffer 24 hours a day. People cannot even open home windows,” he said, accusing the administration of ignoring complaints.
Senior BJP corporator and lawyer Sanjay Balpande alleged that the issue goes beyond administrative negligence and amounts to a violation of court directives. He pointed out that residents had earlier approached the high court over pollution concerns, but the civic body failed to comply with its directions. “This amounts to contempt of court,” he said, demanding immediate and time-bound action.
BJP corporator Jitendra Kukde highlighted that nearly 1,700 houses in the vicinity of the dumping yard continue to be affected by severe air pollution. He warned that the situation could worsen during the monsoon, when rainwater may carry garbage and contaminated waste into nearby residential areas, posing serious health risks.
The matter escalated further when corporators questioned accountability, noting the absence of any deputy municipal commissioner from the concerned department in the House. Instead, a senior engineer from the public health engineering wing responded, drawing objections from several members.
Taking note of the uproar, Mayor Neeta Thakre assured the House that the issue would be addressed. She directed the administration to convene a joint meeting of senior officials and corporators from the affected areas within eight days to review the situation and finalise corrective measures.
With residents continuing to report worsening pollution and no visible improvement, the long-standing issues related to waste processing at Bhandewadi have once again come under sharp scrutiny.
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