Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) Administration has been caught on the wrong foot, again. The civic body has once again faced severe flak after heavy rainfall on late Sunday night, measuring 32.9 mm, exposed the inadequacies in their monsoon preparedness. The downpour led to widespread waterlogging across several localities in Nagpur, with rainwater gushing into numerous homes.
Citizens reported that the newly laid cement roads in residential areas were a significant cause of the waterlogging. The elevated levels of these roads compared to previous ones caused rainwater to flow into houses in areas such as: Manish Nagar, Besa, Beltarodi, Laxmi Nagar, Wardha Road and other localities
The Manish Nagar underpass, notorious for flooding even after moderate rainfall, was again submerged in knee-deep water. Despite Maha Metro’s efforts to address this recurring issue by installing sump and pump arrangements, the measures failed to prevent the flooding. Similarly, the Narendra Nagar RuB also experienced waterlogging on Monday morning.
A local resident expressed frustration over the recurring issue, stating, “Every year, it is the same story. The Manish Nagar underpass gets waterlogged, causing immense inconvenience. This clearly reflects NMC’s shoddy work.”
Even roads equipped with stormwater networks were not spared. Areas such as Dhantoli, Hanuman Nagar, Chandramani Nagar, Girhe Layout and Ganpati Nagar were seen with ankle-deep water on Monday morning, highlighting the inadequacy of the current drainage systems.
In July 2022, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had expressed his dissatisfaction with the persistent waterlogging issues in various parts of the city. He had instructed all relevant agencies, including the State’s Public Works Department, Nagpur Improvement Trust, Maha Metro, NHAI, and NMC, to ensure that their roads remained free from waterlogging. However, despite two years having passed, no significant improvements have been observed at ground level.
The half-completed pipeline laying work under the Amrut 2.0 project exacerbated the situation, leaving many roads covered in sludge. This created hazardous driving conditions for commuters, adding to the chaos and inconvenience caused by the waterlogging.
The rain started on late Sunday night which lasted till Monday early morning. Due to constant rains, water-logging was common feature at different parts of the city
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), “A cyclonic circulation lies over Haryana and a trough runs from Punjab to Mizoram in lower tropospheric levels. Under its influence, a widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorms, lightning very likely over Northwest and Central India during next 5 days.”
In June, Nagpur district witnessed a 22% rainfall deficit whereas after Monday’s rains the deficit reduced to 16%. Nagpur district reported 155 mm rainfall till date whereas the normal is 185.2 mm.
The recent rainfall has once again highlighted the NMC’s lack of effective monsoon preparedness, as the city’s infrastructure failed to cope with the deluge. The recurring issues and the failure to implement long-term solutions continue to plague the residents of Nagpur, demanding immediate and substantial action from the authorities.
