Nagpur: As many as 31 slums along
Nag River are the major contributors to pollution in the water body, admitted Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) in its action plan to prevent solid waste dumping in the river.
Nag River flows for 17.1km through the city before meting with the Pili river in the east. As per a survey conducted recently, solid waste is being dumped into the river by these 31 settlements due to lack of door-to-door garbage collection and absence of dustbins. NMC has decided to install CCTV cameras along Nag River and penalize people caught dumping solid waste in the river.
Based on the study, the NMC has prepared a one-year time-bound programme which is all set to start from this month to prevent pollution in the river, said a senior official from the health department (sanitation). If the action plan is implemented effectively, it will help the NMC to start the riverfront development programme.
The study also noted that piled up garbage is dumped on the banks and wastewater and industrial effluent too are being directly discharged into the river. The river, which is heavily impacted by urban residues, is acting as a drainage system for the city.
These issues were raised earlier too during the ‘My City My River’ campaign conducted by The Times Of India and Maharashtra Times in 2013. The campaign had prompted NMC to start a drive to clean the river.
Waste water from toilets in the slums and other layouts, stormwater drains and sewage are also discharged directly into the river without prior treatment, the study added. Open defecation happens along the river bank which is encroached at many places.
The action plan includes designing and distribution of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material, holding meetings to educate residents, providing big waste collection bins, deploying pushcarts for door-to-door collections, using social media and organizing street plays in river cleanliness.
All these initiatives will be held till December 2018. From January 2019, the NMC will start imposing fine on offenders, said the official.
