Lokmat News Network (Nagpur)
Even though the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court has pulled up government agencies for their apathy towards taking measures to prevent another flood in Nagpur, the officials continue to be lackadaisical. Flash floods had hit the city on September 23 last year and you would expect all the remedial measures to be completed by now. However, the government agencies have not completed their share of work even though monsoon rains are expected to begin in the next fifteen days.
Maha Metro had been asked by the high power committee headed by divisional commissioner to desilt and widen Nag river flowing inside Krazy Castle amusement park. While it has demolished six ornamental bridges and desilted the river, it has no plans for widening it. This work will be done after the rainy season is over. Metro had sought Rs 20 crore from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for widening the river. The state government has not sanctioned a single penny even though six weeks have passed.
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However, Metro officials say that funds are not a problem. Metro can do widening with its own money. It is only that the work has been planned after rains. The officials are not bothered that localities on the banks of Nag river may get flooded in the coming weeks due to their sloppiness. Residents of Corporation Colony, Daga Layout, Verma Layout, Ambazari Layout, etc had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court demanding remedial measures so that Nag river does not jump its banks again in case of heavy rainfall.
About 26,000 homes in these localities had got flooded and property worth hundreds of crores was damaged in the flood. The government just paid Rs 10,000 per family as compensation. Now with the Metro not completing its part of the task and other bottlenecks in the path of Nag river not being addressed, residents are worried about what would happen if disaster struck once again. "Why should they tempt fate like this? Would they delay the widening work if they were themselves living here?" asked residents. NMC forged signatures on NoC, allege residents