Nagpur: Pulling up Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) over open manholes and damaged sewer chambers across the city, the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court observed that despite repeated assurances, hazardous open chambers continued to be reported across the city.“Don’t just show paper action; tell us about concrete measures,” the court said.On Monday, the bench questioned the gap between assurances made before the court and conditions visible on the streets.A division bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Rajnish Vyas directed the civic body to submit details of how many open manholes have actually been secured so far.A suo motu PIL has been filed over the deteriorating condition of sewerage chambers and uncovered manholes. The court was also informed that open chambers get submerged during the monsoon, posing risks to pedestrians as well as animals.Shilpa Girtkar, appearing for petitioner Asha Bhagat, submitted photographs from different parts of the city. Around 160 photographs, covering all 10 NMC zones as well as Besa-Pipla area, showed open chambers, potholes and incomplete road works. The petition contends that these conditions have exposed residents to accidents and contributed to traffic-related difficulties.The court noted that photographs of open manholes and uncovered sewer chambers continue to appear in newspapers.The bench also asked the petitioner’s lawyers to ensure that all authorities and govt agencies responsible for roads and related infrastructure are made parties to the proceedings, noting that not every road in the city falls under NMC’s jurisdiction.The court has scheduled the next hearing for Wednesday.
