Monsoon nears, but Nashik Municipal Corporation yet to act on 210 waterlogging-prone spots

Nashik: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has yet to initiate corrective measures at 210 identified waterlogging-prone spots across the city, raising serious concerns about its preparedness ahead of the monsoon onset.The flood-prone spots were first identified in a 2022 survey, but little progress has been made on the ground since then.The urgency was underscored on April 2 this year, when Nashik received 39mm of rainfall within just 40 minutes. The sudden downpour exposed major gaps in the city’s stormwater drainage network, leading to severe waterlogging across arterial roads and low-lying areas.While NMC has begun limited interventions on certain under-construction roads, particularly those linked to Simhastha Kumbh Mela infrastructure, officials admitted that completing the work before the monsoon would be difficult.

“The civic body is currently focusing on 28 major roads covering about 150km, nearly 40% of which are undergoing white-topping,” an official said.A senior NMC official said more than 200 locations remain vulnerable to waterlogging. “We have started work on key stretches, including construction of catchpits at points where water tends to accumulate. These will help channel rainwater more efficiently into the stormwater drainage system,” the official said.

Work on several other stretches has, however, yet to begin and is likely to be taken up only in the coming months, casting doubt on any immediate relief. Residents said apart from the identified spots, several additional areas routinely faced flooding during heavy rain.