Barely days after a major anti-encroachment drive by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), roadside hawkers and vendors have returned to their usual hotspots at Jhansi Rani Square, Wardha Road, and along IT Park Road, raising fresh concerns about enforcement and pedestrian safety.
The civic body had launched a crackdown on Thursday at key locations, including Jhansi Rani Square and nearby junctions, as well as stretches along IT Park Road. The action came following strict instructions from NMC commissioner Vipin Itankar to make the city encroachment-free. Enforcement teams also continued operations on IT Park Road on Friday.
However, a ground visit by TOI over the weekend showed that the impact of the drive did not last long.
Despite the action taken, most vendors were back at the same spots from Saturday, once again occupying footpaths and forcing pedestrians onto busy roads. The recurring trend has highlighted the limitations of periodic drives without consistent monitoring.
Acknowledging the concern, a senior official from the NMC’s enforcement department admitted that the return of encroachers continues to be a major challenge.
“We are also finding locations where the hawkers can be shifted. The main issue remains the lack of personnel in the anti-encroachment department,” the official said.
At present, the department is functioning with 15 teams, including 10 deployed from different zones and five central teams. To tackle the manpower shortage, the civic body is planning to increase staff strength.
“We are now planning to increase personnel in the enforcement department who will regularly patrol key spots of encroachment and later inform the central team, which will carry out the drive if the hawkers return. This will stop the return of the encroachers,” the official added.
Citizens, however, remain frustrated with the recurring issue. Many pointed out that encroachments not only disrupt traffic flow but also pose a serious risk to pedestrian safety, forcing people to walk on roads amid heavy traffic.
The problem is not new. Encroachments have troubled Nagpur for decades, with repeated drives failing to bring lasting results. The absence of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for hawkers and weak enforcement have been cited as key reasons behind the persistence of the issue.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari has also raised concerns about the issue multiple times, particularly highlighting the dangers faced by pedestrians due to encroached footpaths. Despite such concerns being voiced at the highest levels, effective and long-term solutions continue to remain elusive.
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