Nagpur: Solid Waste Department of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Tuesday issued suspension orders of 39 sanitation workers including a Health Inspector and a supervisor. The action, mandated by Municipal Commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari, comes as frustration mounts over the deteriorating condition of road sweeping across major and internal lanes in Nagpur.
The crackdown followed a surprise check conducted by Department officials across Nagpur when these persons were found absent on duty without permission. After being apprised about the matter, Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari directed officials to take disciplinary action against the erring staff. NMC is flooded with complaints about non sweeping of streets and those relating to non-lifting of garbage. Even the all party meet chaired by the Union Minister Nitin Gadkari saw main focus on hygiene and lack of cleanliness in the city.
Taking note of the matter, the Municipal Commissioner ordered the Solid Waste Department to take stock of the ground situation. Further the Commissioner had visited Laxmi Nagar and Dharampeth Zone and directed respective Zonal Assistant Commissioners to crackdown on staff who are absent on duty without valid reason. Among those suspended included a Health Inspector, three Jamadar, one In-charge Jamadar and 34 sanitation workers.
Following the directives of the Commissioner, on Tuesday Additional Commissioner Anchal Goyal, Deputy Commissioner Dr Gajendra Mahalle, and all ten Zonal Assistant Commissioners undertook simultaneous visits and checked the register and those who were not found at the designated place were marked absent. Now, a Departmental Enquiry is going to be initiated against the suspended employees.
The suspensions affected employees from several zones with Gandhibagh Zone reporting the highest number at eight suspensions, followed by Dharampeth Zone (5), Lakadganj, Mangalwari, Hanuman Nagar, and Dhantoli Zones (4 each), Laxmi Nagar, Ashi Nagar, and Nehru Nagar Zones (3 each), while Satranjipura Zone had the fewest with two suspensions.
To address the sanitation crisis, the NMC has intensified its efforts with surprise inspections led by Additional Commissioner Anchal Goyal, Dr Mahalle, and Assistant Commissioners from all ten zones. This initiative aims to tackle the dissatisfaction with road cleanliness and restore effective waste management practices across the city.
Residents and business owners have voiced growing concerns over the deteriorating state of the city’s streets, citing insufficient sweeping and ongoing rubbish issues. The suspensions signal a more rigorous approach by the NMC to address these concerns and ensure accountability among sanitation staff.
