Nagpur: Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) Standing Committee chairperson Shivani Dani-Wakhare on Wednesday announced several interventions to ensure security at the nearly 300-year-old Amrai, a forested area along the road from Sonegaon to the Nagpur airport.Citizen groups have conduted cleanliness drives at Amrai while TOI has regularly highlighted the deteriorating condition of the urban forest.During a review meeting at the site on Wednesday, Dani-Wakhare instructed officials concerned to install streetlights, deploy round-the-clock security, improved signage and road repairs.The stretch already has 30 streetlights to improve visibility and curb anti-social activities. However, with dense monsoon foliage obstructing the lights, Dani-Wakhare suggested undertaking tree pruning to ensure proper illumination across the stretch.Security has also been strengthened with MADC deploying six guards in three shifts to provide 24×7 surveillance. A check post has been constructed at the Sonegaon entrance.Dani-Wakhare, however, said the existing deployment was inadequate as the Amrai has three entry points — from Sonegaon, the Airport side and the Engineers Co-Op Society. She insisted that all three access points must be manned and demanded six additional guards to ensure effective monitoring.Influencer Lokesh (Loki) Totha, team lead of the Vrukshit Foundation, expressed concern over anti-social activities in the area after dark. Dani-Wakhare proposed restoring the earlier restriction on vehicular movement through the Amrai road between 10 pm and 8 am.MADC will install 12 signboards along the main road leading to Amrai. Besides providing directions, the signage will urge visitors not to litter and help spread awareness about protecting the green space. Officials said the signboards are expected to be installed by Friday or Saturday. Officials were also directed to undertake repairs of internal road and improving accessibility.(Inputs by Vansh Jain, Payal More & Poornima Pendhari)
