Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari responds to points raised by TOI Debate panelists on civic issues and shares his vision for the city.
All the panelists were of the opinion that the rutted roads were only rehabilitated during the election year.
You have to look at it holistically. Over the past two years, every government body – from civic bodies to state to center – has focused all of its resources in the fight against the pandemic. As saving lives and curbing the spread of infection became a priority, road construction and maintenance did not receive the attention they naturally would have. We saw a devastating second wave from which the city took a long time to recover, but now that things are slowly getting back to normal, road works have started up again. We have made rapid progress in ensuring the roads become pothole free and very soon all roads under NMC’s jurisdiction will be repaired.
Another concern was whether we really needed cement roads, more specifically from an environmental point of view.
We certainly do. People wonder how the rainwater will infiltrate and for this, storm drains have been built on the side of the road, so there will be no waterlogging. Second, trees have been planted on the land and are maintained. Many citizens say that the height of the road increases, but few know that a similar thing happens with paved roads when layer after layer is added. I saw an asphalt road in Nagpur itself that had been stripped to reach a chamber below, and the layer of tar was 3.5 feet deep. Also, by using tar, we use natural resources more often because tar roads require more maintenance, whereas cement roads can last for decades.
24×7 water is a promise that has yet to be fulfilled across the city.
When we started this project, the population of the city of Nagpur was different from that of today. Every year the situation is improving and we are getting closer to our goal of 24/7 water supply. NMC stopped 197 water tankers, which means clean water is reaching people on time. More and more areas are covered by the water supply network and this is proof of progress.
Garbage collection agencies are fined, changed. Are they not doing a decent job or has NMC failed to do the job?
We weren’t happy with the way things were done. Qualitative changes are needed and the agency that wins the tender must implement them. We have studied the Indore model and will try the format of the segregation centers at the area level. Also, this work can never be a success without the participation of citizens. Who throws garbage in the streets? NMC employees don’t, citizens do. We must all come together and push forward the Clean Nagpur initiative.
There was a time when Nagpur was listed among the two or three greenest cities in India. Hasn’t the environment been a priority for companies? Are we too optimistic in assuming that this will one day be part of the electoral agenda?
Every politician will have to provide what the citizens want. The day citizens decide that the environment is a priority for them, all politicians, no matter what party they belong to, will be forced to toe that line. NMC has undertaken various green initiatives. We develop a garden of scents, we maintain many public gardens and also the vegetation that you see on the embankments is scientifically thought out. Field experts advise us on the measures to be taken to protect the environment.
The financial crisis at NMC is now public knowledge, and some panelists pointed out that there are a few hundred thousand unrated properties.
I don’t think the quantum is that high. There are a few unevaluated properties but they are under our radar. The legal issues with property valuation stem from the fact that the entire disposition is illegal. We find that a builder has illegally sold an amenity to someone, then that person has sold it to someone else, and the chain continues. The original seller has disappeared and the current occupants had no idea of the legal status of this land. This is one of the many technical challenges. However, the number is not even one lakh. Citizens must inform us of these properties.
All the panelists were of the opinion that the rutted roads were only rehabilitated during the election year.
You have to look at it holistically. Over the past two years, every government body – from civic bodies to state to center – has focused all of its resources in the fight against the pandemic. As saving lives and curbing the spread of infection became a priority, road construction and maintenance did not receive the attention they naturally would have. We saw a devastating second wave from which the city took a long time to recover, but now that things are slowly getting back to normal, road works have started up again. We have made rapid progress in ensuring the roads become pothole free and very soon all roads under NMC’s jurisdiction will be repaired.
Another concern was whether we really needed cement roads, more specifically from an environmental point of view.
We certainly do. People wonder how the rainwater will infiltrate and for this, storm drains have been built on the side of the road, so there will be no waterlogging. Second, trees have been planted on the land and are maintained. Many citizens say that the height of the road increases, but few know that a similar thing happens with paved roads when layer after layer is added. I saw an asphalt road in Nagpur itself that had been stripped to reach a chamber below, and the layer of tar was 3.5 feet deep. Also, by using tar, we use natural resources more often because tar roads require more maintenance, whereas cement roads can last for decades.
24×7 water is a promise that has yet to be fulfilled across the city.
When we started this project, the population of the city of Nagpur was different from that of today. Every year the situation is improving and we are getting closer to our goal of 24/7 water supply. NMC stopped 197 water tankers, which means clean water is reaching people on time. More and more areas are covered by the water supply network and this is proof of progress.
Garbage collection agencies are fined, changed. Are they not doing a decent job or has NMC failed to do the job?
We weren’t happy with the way things were done. Qualitative changes are needed and the agency that wins the tender must implement them. We have studied the Indore model and will try the format of the segregation centers at the area level. Also, this work can never be a success without the participation of citizens. Who throws garbage in the streets? NMC employees don’t, citizens do. We must all come together and push forward the Clean Nagpur initiative.
There was a time when Nagpur was listed among the two or three greenest cities in India. Hasn’t the environment been a priority for companies? Are we too optimistic in assuming that this will one day be part of the electoral agenda?
Every politician will have to provide what the citizens want. The day citizens decide that the environment is a priority for them, all politicians, no matter what party they belong to, will be forced to toe that line. NMC has undertaken various green initiatives. We develop a garden of scents, we maintain many public gardens and also the vegetation that you see on the embankments is scientifically thought out. Field experts advise us on the measures to be taken to protect the environment.
The financial crisis at NMC is now public knowledge, and some panelists pointed out that there are a few hundred thousand unrated properties.
I don’t think the quantum is that high. There are a few unevaluated properties but they are under our radar. The legal issues with property valuation stem from the fact that the entire disposition is illegal. We find that a builder has illegally sold an amenity to someone, then that person has sold it to someone else, and the chain continues. The original seller has disappeared and the current occupants had no idea of the legal status of this land. This is one of the many technical challenges. However, the number is not even one lakh. Citizens must inform us of these properties.