Nashik Municipal Corporation mayor orders action against illegal road digging

Nashik: A stormy general body meeting of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Tuesday saw corporators rake up issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads and erratic water supply to delays in infrastructure works linked to the 2027 Simhastha Kumbh Mela.Taking a serious note of unauthorised road excavation in some areas of the city, mayor Himgauri Aher-Adke directed the civic administration to register cases against agencies and contractors carrying out digging works without NMC’s permission.The mayor’s directives came during the general body meeting of the NMC held on Tuesday. While the House approved more than 64 pending proposals, proceedings were dominated by complaints regarding roads damaged by ongoing Simhastha Kumbh Mela works, monsoon-related potholes and disruptions in water supply.Corporators from across party lines criticised the administration over the deteriorating condition of roads and frequent excavation by utility agencies. Taking serious note of the issue, Aher-Adke ordered officials to immediately register police complaints against agencies such as MSEDCL, BSNL, MNGL, mobile service providers and contractors found digging roads without obtaining prior permission from the civic body.

The mayor also directed the administration to seek a report from the police regarding the recent death of a former serviceman in a road accident in Satpur area. She said if the police inquiry establishes negligence on the part of the contractor, action should be initiated and the civic body would consider providing financial assistance to the victim’s family.The issue figured prominently during the meeting as corporators raised concerns over public safety amid large-scale infrastructure works underway ahead of the 2027 Simhastha Kumbh Mela.

Referring to a fatal accident at Mhasrul, corporator Prashant Dive alleged that poor-quality road works and negligence by contractors were putting lives at risk. He demanded action against contractors responsible for substandard work.Water supply issues also drew sharp criticism. Corporator Asha Tadvi alleged that several areas continued to face shortages even after scheduled water cuts, while Sandhya Kulkarni highlighted manpower shortages in the civic administration, claiming that her personal assistant had to coordinate tanker supply arrangements due to the absence of adequate municipal staff.Corporators Kiran Gamane and Shahu Khaire raised concerns over potholes and indiscriminate road excavations across the city, while Rohini Pingle blamed delays in Smart City projects to water-related problems in the Panchavati area and questioned contractors for failing to complete works despite deadlines having expired.An emotional moment unfolded in the House when BJP corporator Dinkar Patil raised the issue of the former serviceman’s death in Satpur.

While narrating the plight of the bereaved family, Patil became emotional and alleged that negligence of the contractor and officials led to the accident. He said no action had yet been initiated despite grounds for registering a culpable homicide case against the contractor.The mayor issued a series of directions to the administration, including immediate pothole repairs, identification and treatment of accident-prone black spots by monsoon task forces, deployment of 54 newly recruited engineers on field duty, urgent repair of leakages in water reservoirs and provision of tanker supply wherever necessary. She also sought details from the police regarding the deployment of 300 traffic wardens appointed to regulate traffic in the city.With several Kumbh-related projects underway and the monsoon gaining intensity, corporators urged the administration to act swiftly on civic issues and ensure that development works do not compromise public safety.