NAGPUR: In a unique way to protest rainwater gushing into their homes after the construction of cement roads, residents of Old Subhedar in prabhag number 32, led by corporator Rupali Thakur, stormed the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s Hanuman Nagar zone office with buckets full of dirty water. Executive engineer Rajesh Bhutkar fled the office after being informed about irked citizens storming the zone office.
According to residents, there was no problem of waterlogging and rainwater entering their houses till the road was tarred. Since it was concretized this year, Old Subhedar area residents faced rainwater entering their homes.
After analyzing the infrastructure work, residents found that the level of the road was increased and so was the stormwater inlet. The level was more than the level of their homes along the road, leading to rainwater entering their homes, said the corporator.
On June 28, the day when rainwater entered their homes, residents tried to contact executive engineer Bhutkar who had supervised the cement road work. “Despite making at least 40 phone calls, we failed to reach the executive engineer,” said Parshu Thakur.
Later, a delegation of residents led by Thakur met assistant municipal commissioner of Hanuman Nagar zone Sushma Mandge and submitted a memorandum demanding immediate measures to improve the stormwater network in Old Subhedar area. The residents were assured that the executive engineer will visit the locality and review the situation.
Even after 10 days, Bhutkar has neither visited the locality nor has he taken any corrective measures. After Thursday’s incessant rain, at least 100 houses alongside the cement road were submerged.
On Thursday, too, residents tried to call Bhutkar who asked them to visit the zone office on Friday morning, said local resident Gajanan Bhandarke. When residents went there, Bhutkar fled from the rear gate of the zone office, claimed the other residents — Amit Desai, Suraj Chandel and Jayant Desai.
Thakur then informed mayor Dayashankar Tiwari who swiftly responded to the residents’ grievance and directed Bhutkar to reach the spot. Soon, Bhutkar reached Old Subhedar layout. The mayor too visited the locality. After inspecting the site, the mayor directed Bhutkar to lay another stormwater network in front of houses by maintaining its level so that rainwater does not enter their homes.
