Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) over recurring waterlogging across the city, questioning the purpose of collecting taxes if basic civic services continue to fail.“If citizens pay taxes for civic amenities but, in return, have to endure damaged roads, waterlogged streets and flooded houses, then what exactly are the taxes being collected for?” a division bench of Justices Urmila Joshi-Phalke and Nivedita Mehta orally observed while hearing a PIL filed by Janmanch president Rajiv Jagtap through counsels Parvez Mirza and Mrunall Chakravorty.The court examined conflicting affidavits filed by NMC and Public Works Department (PWD). While NMC attributed waterlogging near Somalwar School to the ongoing World Bank-funded stormwater drainage project and claimed maintenance of the Narendra Nagar railway underbridge rested with PWD, the latter stated that the Padole Square-Somalwar School road falls within NMC’s jurisdiction.Observing that passing the buck would not resolve the issue, the bench directed NMC to submit a comprehensive action plan by Aug 11 for permanently tackling waterlogging on city roads. It also asked PWD to file its independent proposal.The bench expressed concern over persistent flooding at the Narendra Nagar railway underbridge. After PWD sought to implead the railway administration, the court allowed the request and directed that the Railways be added as a respondent.Expressing displeasure over both departments attempting to shift responsibility, the bench observed that fixing blame served little purpose. “Both departments exist to serve the public. Rather than deciding who is responsible, what matters is that citizens are suffering,” it orally remarked.At the previous hearing, the high court had also criticised NMC, observing that annual meetings, affidavits and assurances could not substitute for a lasting solution to the city’s chronic waterlogging. The bench had said the civic body failed to identify the root causes of flooding or present a scientific, long-term mitigation plan.
