Back To Square 1: Vendors Return, Footpaths Vanish

Nagpur: Barely days after a major anti-encroachment drive by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), roadside hawkers and vendors returned to their old hotspots at Jhansi Rani Square, Wardha Road, and along IT Park Road, raising concerns over enforcement and pedestrian safety.The civic body launched a crackdown on Thursday at key locations, including Jhansi Rani Square and adjoining junctions, as well as stretches along IT Park Road. The action followed strict directions issued by NMC commissioner Vipin Itankar to make the city encroachment-free. Even on Friday, enforcement teams continued their action on IT Park Road.However, a ground visit by TOI over the weekend revealed that the impact of the drive was short-lived. Despite the actions, since Saturday, most vendors resumed business at the same locations, occupying footpaths and forcing pedestrians onto busy roads. The recurring pattern has once again exposed the limitations of periodic drives without sustained monitoring.Acknowledging the issue, a senior official from the NMC's enforcement department admitted that the return of encroachers remains a persistent 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.Currently, the department operates with 15 teams, including 10 deployed from various zones and five central teams. To address the manpower crunch, the civic body is planning to increase personnel 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 menace. Many pointed out that encroachments not only disrupt traffic flow but also pose a serious threat to pedestrian safety, as people are forced to walk on roads amid heavy traffic.The issue is not new. Encroachments have plagued Nagpur for decades, with repeated drives failing to bring lasting change. The lack of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for hawkers and insufficient enforcement have been cited as major reasons behind the problem's persistence.Union minister Nitin Gadkari has also flagged the issue on multiple occasions, particularly highlighting the risks faced by pedestrians due to encroached footpaths. Despite such concerns being raised at the highest levels, effective and long-term solutions remain elusive.
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