NMC fails to make city monsoon ready

Nagpur: Despite facing serious problems last year, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has failed to take up works to prevent water logging and road mishaps during monsoon.
A large number of potholes on roads, choked storm water drains, improper restoration of trenches, open manholes, power cables on the surface layer, incomplete cement roads, flyover works etc are likely to make monsoon miserable for citizens.
Repairs of potholes is yet to begin in seven out of the ten zones despite monsoon being just around the corner. Even, the survey of potholes is yet to commence in NMC’s seven zones.
The NMC’s hot mix department, which deals with potholes on major roads, has data of potholes of only three zones. The department started work in these zones last week. This proves the sheer negligence and lack of planning by the civic body.
The situation is worse on major roads proposed for concretization and flyovers. Some of such roads are Orange City Street, Khamla Road, Inner Ring Road, Central Avenue, Old Bhandara Road etc. Many of the internal roads, too, have potholes and bad surface layer.
The situation is likely to deteriorate with the start of the monsoon. The size of potholes becomes wide and there is also a steep rise in the number of craters during rains.
NMC standing committee chairman Pradip Pohane told TOI that steps have been taken to complete repairing of potholes by June end.
“We could not take a review of works due to code of conduct of the Lok Sabha elections. I am regularly taking the follow-up of works and also inspecting the sites. Warning has been issued to seven zones to submit the list of potholes immediately. I have also directed the NIT to undertake repairing of potholes,” he said.
Excluding the drive to clean three rivers and some drains, the NMC has not undertaken works to prevent water logging. After rains for ten minutes on Saturday, roads in Kalamna witnessed logging.
An industrialist, on the condition of anonymity, said industries are facing losses due to water gushing into the units. “All storm water drains in these areas are choked and have not been cleaned for years. Our requests to corporators and other public representatives have gone unheard since last year,” he said.
Corporator Abha Pande said the major problem would be due to lack of restoration of trenches. “Trenches dug for water pipelines, power cables and optical fibre cables have not been restored properly. In a few areas, restoration works are yet to begin. Trenches become invisible during rains and cause accidents. Also, roads get covered with mud causing various types of problems,” she said.
In few areas, power cables are lying on the surface layer. An example is the London Street Road. Pande added that the quality of repairs of potholes is not up to the mark.
Corporator Duneshwar Pethe alleged NMC and other government agencies failed to learn lessons despite last year’s mismanagement.
“The state legislature’s proceedings were stopped due to lack of pre-monsoon works last year. A single day of rain created havoc last year. Still, no works have been planned and done this year. NMC identified water logging spots but did nothing. Roads where flyovers and Metro Rail corridors are being constructed will again witness water logging as storm water drains have not been repaired,” he said.
NMC did not remove weeds and grass along the streets in residential areas.