Mayor sets April 30 deadline for nullah, drain desilting drive

Nagpur: Mayor Neeta Thakre on Wednesday directed officials to expedite the ongoing river and drain desilting drive and ensure completion of all works before April 30. Stressing urgency, she asked depts to deploy additional manpower and machinery wherever required to meet the deadline.During inspection, Thakre reviewed efforts to clear silt, garbage and obstructions from drains, river stretches and ghats to ensure smooth water flow. She emphasised immediate removal of blockages to prevent waterlogging during the monsoon. The mayor spent over seven hours touring various parts of the city to assess the situation on the ground.At Trimurti Nagar, she ordered removal of encroachments by a mutton market along a drain. She also directed the solid waste management dept and assistant commissioners to intensify public awareness campaigns against dumping garbage in drains and rivers.The mayor, along with municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar and senior office-bearers, conducted an extensive joint inspection across multiple zones including across Laxmi Nagar, Dharampeth, Mangalwari, Ashi Nagar, Lakadganj, Nehru Nagar, Gandhi Bagh and Hanuman Nagar zones to review the progress of the annual cleaning drives. The team included deputy mayor Leela Hathibed, standing committee chairperson Shivani Dani Wakhare, ruling party leader Narendra Borkar, health committee chairperson Manisha Atkare, additional commissioner Vasumana Pant, chief engineer Manoj Talewar, and other officials.Expressing concern over the spread of water hyacinth in river stretches near Ambazari crematorium and Vivekanand Memorial, she instructed officials to initiate prompt remedial measures. At Gorewada lake, she ordered steps to stop sewage inflow near the Chhath Puja site. The public works dept was asked to prepare proposals for constructing safety walls at vulnerable locations.The mayor also directed officials to clear the river confluence near Nara ghat and address flooding issues reported from Sangam-Punapur, where residents face water ingress during rains. She instructed the Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority to coordinate with the civic body and widen the river channel up to 50 metres beyond Mahalgaon-Kapsi.Borkar called for preventive measures to ensure citizens do not face hardships during monsoon. Thakre expressed concern over recurring issues in Narsala and directed action against a private developer, besides ordering immediate repair of a damaged bridge over a drain.Reiterating the focus on timely execution, the mayor said completing desilting works before monsoon would significantly reduce flooding and waterlogging across the city. Civic officials said the intensified drive aims to provide relief to residents during the rainy season.