To permanently reclaim pedestrian spaces and clear urban footpaths, Nagpur Municipal Commissioner Dr. Vipin Itankar has established a multi-agency task force to execute coordinated anti-encroachment operations across the city. The decision follows clear directives from Revenue and Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule during a recent District Planning and Development Committee (DPDC) meeting.
The high-level initiative addresses the recurring failure of routine zone-level drives. Despite instructions for all 10 municipal zones to clear two kilometers of footpaths daily, evicted hawkers routinely returned to major commercial corridors within days, forcing pedestrians back into dangerous street traffic.
To break this cycle, the newly formed committee unifies key civic and government bodies under a single operational framework. Led by Dr. Itankar, the task force brings together officials from the Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT), Nagpur City Police, MahaMetro, Public Works Department (PWD), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), MSEDCL, MahaRail, the Revenue Department, and the City Survey Office. The Sub-Divisional Officer (Nagpur City) serves as the Member Secretary.
The inter-agency body will streamline land verification, resolve inter-departmental hurdles, facilitate utility shifting, regulate traffic during drives, and execute joint enforcement operations. Crucially, the team is tasked with identifying persistent encroachment hotspots, deploying structured action plans, and maintaining continuous monitoring to prevent vendors from reoccupying cleared spaces.
Simultaneously, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s Enforcement Department has ramped up its campaign, expanding operations into night hours across high-footfall commercial and nightlife hubs. Assistant Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Kamble confirmed that current late-night drives are aggressively targeting major corridors, including Sitabuldi, VNIT Road, and the popular Futala Lake promenade, ensuring footpaths remain accessible around the clock.
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