Nagpur: The Nagpur district administration was directed to submit a proposal to the Maharashtra Government for transferring state-owned land near the historic Zero Mile to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for its beautification and development. The directive was issued by Heritage Conservation Committee Chairman Anup Kumar during a meeting held on Thursday.
Zero Mile, a historically significant site marking the geographical centre of colonial India, has long suffered from neglect despite being under the jurisdiction of the State’s Public Works Department (PWD). Chronic fund shortages hindered its proper maintenance. In the past, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court had passed strict orders for its upkeep. Recognising the site’s importance, the court had instructed the district administration to ensure that Zero Mile is well-maintained.
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07 April 2025
A proposal was earlier submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, requesting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding from Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) for the site’s beautification and development. In line with this, a meeting of the Heritage Conservation Committee was convened at the NMC headquarters on Thursday. The meeting, chaired by Anup Kumar, was attended by NMC Commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari, District Collector Vipin Itankar, Chief Engineer and Heritage Committee Secretary Leena Upadhye, IOC General Manager Atul Gupta, and Deputy General Manager Pradeep Paul.
During the meeting, Anup Kumar emphasised the need for the Maharashtra Government to allocate all govt-owned land near Zero Mile for the development project. The NMC plans to create parking facilities for tourists on its designated land to improve accessibility. The Maharashtra Government has already allocated funds for the site’s beautification, which is being carried out by the Public Works Department. Additionally, funds from Indian Oil Corporation will be used for the development of adjacent land, confirmed Commissioner Chaudhari.
The move to transfer land to NMC is expected to streamline efforts to restore Zero Mile to its historic glory. The heritage site, which once served as the reference point for measuring distances in British India, has the potential to become a major tourist attraction.
However, its upkeep has been inconsistent, despite multiple directives from the High Court. After the HC’s rap, in 2024, the PWD estimated an expenditure of Rs10 lakh for round-the-clock security and another Rs10 lakh for the maintenance of Zero Mile for a year. The latest initiative, if implemented effectively, could ensure its long-overdue restoration and development.
The Zero Mile Stone at Nagpur indicates the direction of nine major metro cities of the country, namely Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi and Pune. All these cities are at equi-distance from the spot where the stone was erected at the time of start of the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India in the year 1907. The structure consists of a pillar made from sandstone and another small stone represents the GTS Standard Benchmark having inscription. There are also four stucco horses adjoining the stone but they were added quite later. The height of the top of the pillar is 310.948 m (1,020.17 ft) above mean sea level.
