Midnight sweep for Itwari market: Mayor spells out zero-tolerance cleanliness plan

Nagpur: Making her intent clear in her first major cleanliness review after assuming office, mayor Neeta Thakre on Friday unveiled a tough, time-bound night sanitation plan for the chronically filthy Itwari market area, declaring that "cosmetic morning sweeping will no longer suffice."For years, sanitation in Itwari followed a flawed cycle — NMC workers swept roads at dawn, shops opened later, and fresh rubbish was dumped on the streets within hours. By afternoon, heaps of waste choked narrow lanes. Late-night eateries further aggravated the mess, leaving food waste and litter strewn across key junctions. The result: a market that remained dirty through peak business hours despite daily cleaning claims.Calling the system "structurally ineffective", Thakre announced a dedicated midnight-to-4am cleaning and rubbish collection drive under the Nagpur Municipal Corporation's solid waste management dept. "If waste is generated at night, it must be cleared at night," she asserted, outlining her vision of synchronising waste collection with market activity rather than administrative convenience.The drive will be rolled out on a one-month trial basis, after which performance will be reviewed. Shopkeepers will be formally notified of revised rubbish handover timings. Strict instructions will be issued against dumping waste on roads. Food market pockets will receive focused late-night cleaning to prevent overnight accumulation.During the meeting, traders demanded Sitabuldi-style facilities, including structured night cleaning, removal of encroachments, improved parking management, and public toilets. Thakre responded positively but stressed that civic accountability must be matched by trader responsibility. "Cleanliness cannot be one-sided. Cooperation is non-negotiable," she said.Deputy mayor Leela Hattibed and ruling party leader Narendra (Balya) Borkar backed the move, assuring that rubbish collection vehicles will be deployed between 12am and 4am daily. A demand for Sunday cleaning was also raised, with the mayor promising due consideration.Senior officials, including deputy commissioner Rajesh Bhagat and chief sanitation officer Dr Gajendra Mahalle, were directed to ensure seamless execution.With Itwari being one of Nagpur's busiest wholesale hubs, the mayor's midnight sanitation blueprint signals a shift from routine sweeping to outcome-oriented governance — a message that both civic staff and traders can no longer ignore.Areas covered Under the night shift campaign, cleaning and rubbish collection will be carried out in Marwadi Chowki, Ek Rupaya Chowk, Bharat Mata Chowk, Gandhi Putla, Agrasen Chowk, Dahi Bazaar, Maskasath, Teen Nal Chowk, Nanga Putla, Anaj Bazaar, Kapda Oli, Bartan Oli, and adjoining residential areas in Itwari.