NMC builds footpath on road, sewage line, gifts roadside to encroachers

Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has started constructing a footpath literally on the road, gifting the area meant for pedestrians to encroachers at Khamla. Also, the footpath is being constructed over a sewage line, which is likely to result in loss of public money in case of a leakage.
As per the plan available with some residents of Sindhi Colony, Khamla, the width of the road from GT Memorial Hospital T-point to its end inside the residential locality is 18 meters. The carriageway is around 15 metre and three metre is for footpath. The civic body has sanctioned Rs36 lakh for tarring the road and construction of new footpath on both sides.
Due to lack of a footpath all these years, shopkeepers and some residents have encroached on the space meant for a footpath, and also on some part of the road. At the beginning of the stretch, the road has shrunk to less than half its size, and then it widens to 18 meter in some parts.
A couple of residents told TOI on condition of anonymity, “It was NMC’s responsibility to remove encroachments but it neglected them for decades despite complaints. At least now, NMC should have removed the encroachments and constructed footpath as required. Unfortunately, NMC started construction of footpath on the road, leaving the area meant for footpath for the shopkeepers forever. The area of footpath is public property and cannot be gifted to anyone. It seems NMC engineers planned construction of footpath on this road only for regularization of encroachments by shopkeepers.”
Another major violation by the civic body is that the footpath is being constructed over sewage line, which is not permitted. Anything above sewage line is bound to be demolished in case of choking of sewage line. Only storm water network is permissible below footpath.
The residents also said they have lodged complaints with engineers of NMC Laxmi Nagar Zone, who never turned up nor stopped the works. “There is a clear nexus between the engineers and shopkeepers,” they alleged.
NMC officials assured to TOI they will demarcate the area of footpath and construct it in its intended place.
However, the NMC engineers are also turning a blind eye to encroachments by shopkeepers over new cycling track and footpath at Khamla. Some shopkeepers have even made permanent constructions on cycling track and footpath in nexus with engineers. On some part of the road, tracks on both side has been destroyed with NMC engineers doing nothing about it.
Instead of easing traffic, congestion on the road connecting Khamla Chowk to Old Airport Road has increased after concretization of the road.