Nagpur: Even as the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) 100-day anti-encroachment campaign has struggled to keep the city’s footpaths and public spaces free from illegal occupation by hawkers and vendors, the civic administration has now constituted a high-level multi-agency committee to intensify the drive.Acting on directions issued by Maharashtra revenue minister and Nagpur guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule during the District Planning Committee meeting held on July 20, municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar has formed a new multi-level committee comprising officials from various govt departments to tackle the issue.The committee, headed by Itankar, comprises senior officials from Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT), Nagpur Police, MahaMetro, Public Works Department, National Highways Authority, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MahaRail), Revenue Department, City Survey Office and other key agencies. The sub-divisional officer (Nagpur City) has been appointed as the member secretary.The move comes despite NMC launching an intensive 100-day anti-encroachment campaign from April 18 to reclaim footpaths, roads and public spaces. Earlier this month, Itankar had also fixed a daily target for all 10 municipal zones to clear at least two kilometres of encroached footpaths.However, despite repeated demolition drives and seizure of goods, illegal hawkers and vendors have continued to reoccupy footpaths and other public places within days, leaving pedestrians with little space to walk and forcing many onto busy carriageways. Several major roads, market areas and commercial pockets continue to witness recurring encroachments, drawing complaints from citizens over traffic congestion and safety.Officials said the newly constituted committee aims to improve coordination among multiple departments involved in removing encroachments and tackling issues such as ownership of land, traffic management, utility shifting and enforcement. The committee is expected to identify major encroachment hotspots, prepare a coordinated action plan and monitor implementation on a regular basis.The administration believes that the involvement of all stakeholder departments under a single platform will help ensure sustained enforcement and prevent encroachments from resurfacing after eviction drives.Meanwhile, the NMC’s anti-encroachment squad has intensified its drive by starting an eviction drive against illegal vendors during late-night hours. “We are focusing on a few places, including Sitabuldi main road, VNIT road and Futala Lake bank,” said assistant municipal commissioner Sanjay Kamble.On Wednesday night, during an enforcement drive, a scuffle was reported from Sitabuldi main road when unauthorised vendors tried to prevent the NMC team from seizing their goods. Sitabuldi police had to be pressed into service to control the situation.
