Stretches of north Nagpur turn into ‘high’ways

Nagpur: Emboldened by police inaction, consumption of liquor in the open has become a perennial nuisance for residents of north Nagpur. Certain stretches, including in the vicinity of Jaripatka division office of Assistant CP, traffic office at Indora Chowk, and adjoining localities, have become open bars, and a constant source of annoyance.
The problems of open consumption of liquor seems to have aggravated in stretches of north Nagpur, where footpaths turn into open bars post sunset. Roadside vendors selling Chinese food items and non-vegetarian dishes become makeshift liquor joints. They add to the woes of passers-by, especially women, girls and children. Around a month ago, a person was murdered in a drunken brawl near a roadside Chinese food cart.
A citizen said, on condition of anonymity, the most blatant violations are near the ACP and traffic office at Indora, where boozers brazenly consume liquor even as cops turn a blind eye. “There is a notorious woman bootlegger in the lane next to the ACP office operating since several years without any fear of the law,” said the citizen.
One of the citizens had also forwarded images of liquor consumers sitting comfortably on the footpaths with roadside vendors doubling up as liquor agents too. “The nearby grocers shops supply boozers with plastic glasses and water pouches, which are later found littering the roads,” said citizens.
TOI shared images of people openly consuming liquor on the footpaths with ACP Parshuram Karyekarte of Jaripatka division. “I will forward the photographs of people consuming liquor to the concerned police stations and get those places raided,” he said.
A local politician, unwilling to be named, said police at times do take action after complaints from the public, but such infrequent actions are no longer effective. “The police and traffic wing should crack down on vendors along the roads and encroachments in the footpaths,” he said.
One of the local residents pointed out that footpaths along the roads on either side of the ring road, from Mankapur bridge till Dixit Nagar, are occupied by boozers who frequently create a ruckus under the influence of alcohol. “Teka Naka Chowk and it’s vicinity also have been affected by consumption of alcohol on the roadside at the cost of other’s comfort,” said the resident.
Similar situation also prevails inside the Pachpaoli market near Kamal Chowk. The bazaar locality has some wine shops along Dr Ambedkar Road, and a country liquor shop at the market. The local residents use the cemented platforms of the market as makeshift open bars.