NMC Assistant Commissioner Ghanshyam Pendhre Suspended Over Misconduct Charges The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has suspended Assistant Commissioner Ghanshyam Pendhre, who is currently assigned to the Gandhibagh Zone, pending further investigation into allegations of misconduct and irregularities. The suspension order, issued by NMC Commissioner Vipin Itankar on Tuesday, was enforced immediately under Rule 4(1) of the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1979. Pendhre’s suspension is effective from the date of the order, and during this period, he is required to remain at the headquarters of the General Administration Department at the NMC’s new administrative building. He is prohibited from leaving the premises without prior approval and is barred from engaging in private or semi-government employment or private business. A subsistence allowance will be provided to Pendhre in accordance with the Maharashtra Civil Services (Joining Time, Foreign Service and Payments during Suspension, Dismissal and Removal) Rules, 1981. The NMC’s administration branch has been instructed to initiate a departmental inquiry and submit all necessary documents, including the charge sheet and supporting annexures, within seven days. The inquiry will be overseen by senior civic officials, including the additional commissioner, deputy commissioner of the General Administration Department, chief accounts and finance officer, legal officer, and other relevant personnel. However, the suspension order does not specify the nature of the alleged misconduct or irregularities, and details are expected to emerge during the inquiry process. Pendhre’s suspension occurs amid a staffing crisis within the NMC.#gandhibagh_zone #nagpur_municipal_corporation #nmc_commissioner_vipin_itankar #ghanshyam_pendhre #maharashtra_civil_services_rules
Death Triggers Civic Crackdown on Dangerous Buildings; Notices Served to 48 Owners in Two NMC Zones Nagpur: A fatal parapet wall collapse that claimed the life of a 52-year-old man near Gitanjali Square on June 29 has prompted the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to intensify its efforts to demolish unsafe structures across the city. Following the incident at Narayan Chambers, where Santosh Gaur died in a terrace wall collapse, the civic body has issued demolition notices to 48 owners in two zones, marking a significant escalation in its campaign against dilapidated buildings. NMC records indicate that 278 unsafe structures have been identified across its 10 zones in the 2025-26 fiscal year. While demolition notices have been issued for 247 of these buildings, only 67 have been fully demolished, and 33 have undergone repairs. This leaves approximately 180 structures still pending action, including demolition, court clearance, or other interventions. The majority of these buildings are located in densely populated residential areas and bustling commercial zones, posing ongoing risks to residents, pedestrians, and motorists. Gandhibagh Zone, which houses a significant number of aging commercial buildings, has the highest count of dangerous structures at 137, followed by Sataranjipura (30), Dhantoli (21), Laxmi Nagar (19), and Dharampeth (17). In Sataranjipura, a recent partial collapse of a dilapidated structure near Nanga Putla has led to demolition notices for five hazardous buildings. Assistant Municipal Commissioner Harish Raut confirmed that owners have been directed to raze the structures immediately, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. The NMC’s enforcement efforts have also gained momentum in Gandhibagh Zone, where 43 dangerous buildings have received notices.#devendra_fadnavis #gandhibagh_zone #nagpur_municipal_corporation #santosh_gaur #jaykumar_shivaji_ramteke
NMC Orders Demolition of Unsafe Building Projections After Fatal Wall Collapse in Nagpur A day after a 52-year-old man was killed when a parapet wall collapsed near Gitanjali Square, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s Gandhibagh zone issued a notice to the owner of Narayan Chambers, directing immediate demolition of the remaining damaged terrace wall and hazardous balcony projections facing Central Avenue. The incident, which claimed the life of Santosh Chhotelal Gaur, has sparked renewed calls for stricter safety regulations and comprehensive structural audits of aging buildings in the city. The notice, issued under Section 264 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations (MMC) Act, 1949, targets the deteriorated terrace parapet wall and several enclosed balcony projections added by occupants over the years. Officials clarified that the building itself, constructed around 1967 in the erstwhile Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) layout, has not been declared unsafe. However, they emphasized that the collapse was likely due to neglected maintenance of the reinforced steel in the projections, which had deteriorated over time. The tragedy has brought attention to similar aging structures along Central Avenue, many of which feature unsafe projections and weathered facades. Civic officials announced plans to intensify inspections and issue notices to property owners identified with hazardous conditions. Despite routine enforcement of such notices, sources noted that poor compliance often allows dangerous structures to remain, posing risks to pedestrians and vehicles on busy roads. The incident has intensified demands for a thorough structural audit of old buildings in the Central Avenue-Gandhibagh commercial belt.#nagpur #gandhibagh_zone #nagpur_municipal_corporation #nmc #narayan_chambers
Rs2,030 Crore Spent, But 24x7 Water A Pipe Dream Nagpur: Nearly 14 years after the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) launched its ambitious 24x7 water supply project, the promise of uninterrupted drinking water remains largely unfulfilled despite spending over Rs2,030 crore. The civic body has also admitted to multiple shortcomings in the project's implementation. Information submitted by NMC to the state legislature in response to a starred question by MLA Pravin Datke exposed persistent deficiencies in the city's water distribution system and raised fresh questions over the functioning of Orange City Water (OCW), the private operator entrusted with the project since 2012. The civic body clarified that, contrary to the often-cited expenditure of Rs3,250 crore, actual payments made to OCW till October 2025 stand at Rs2,030 crore. This includes Rs386 crore spent under the Initial Performance Improvement Programme (IPIP) and Rs1,644 crore towards operation, maintenance, repairs and replacement works. Yet residents across all 10 zones continue to grapple with erratic supply, low water pressure, leakages, contaminated water, and disputed bills. NMC acknowledged receiving complaints about polluted water and faulty meter readings. While officials found no abnormal billing pattern in Dharampeth zone, inflated bills were detected in Gandhibagh and Satranjipura. The disputed bills were subsequently withdrawn, and discrepancies were rectified. The disclosures also reveal significant delays in infrastructure upgrades. OCW was expected to begin rehabilitation and replacement (R&R) works in 2012, including the replacement of ageing pipelines and water meters. However, the exercise reportedly commenced only in April 2019, seven years behind schedule.#gandhibagh_zone #nagpur_municipal_corporation #dharampeth_zone #orange_city_water #pravin_datke
Nagpur Identifies 278 Dilapidated Buildings, Demolishes Only 67 Before Monsoon With the monsoon season approaching Nagpur, hundreds of families living in or near unsafe structures continue to face significant risks. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has identified 278 dilapidated buildings and houses across the city for the 2025-26 fiscal year, but only 67 have been demolished so far. Data compiled by the civic body’s fire and emergency services department highlights that a large number of hazardous structures remain standing, raising concerns over public safety during the rainy season. The highest concentration of unsafe buildings was reported in Gandhibagh zone, where 137 structures were declared hazardous. However, only 21 have been demolished, while action remains pending in 108 cases and four appeals are under consideration, according to information shared by Chief Fire Officer Tushar Barahte. Sataranjipura zone recorded the most extensive enforcement, with 23 of the 30 identified structures demolished. In contrast, Ashi Nagar and Mangalwari zones, where 13 and 10 unsafe buildings were identified respectively, have reported neither demolition nor issuance of notices. Dharampeth zone identified 17 dangerous structures and demolished six, while four houses were vacated as a precaution. Dhantoli zone razed nine of its 21 unsafe buildings. In Nehru Nagar, only two demolitions have been carried out despite 14 structures being declared dilapidated, while 11 have undergone repairs. Officials stated that delays in several cases are due to court proceedings, ownership disputes, and non-compliance by property owners. Activists have raised concerns about whether the pace of enforcement is sufficient to prevent potential building collapses and safeguard residents.#gandhibagh_zone #nagpur_municipal_corporation #nmc #sataranjipura_zone #tushar_barahte
Gandhibagh Zone Inaction Slows Fire Response in Nagpur A critical administrative failure has emerged in Nagpur’s municipal operations after the fire department highlighted severe access issues at a temporarily relocated fire station, raising alarms about emergency preparedness in a densely populated commercial area. The Ganjipeth Fire Station, which was moved to a vacant municipal school building near Model Mill Chowk in the Gadikhana area, faces operational challenges due to restrictive entry conditions. In a March 11 letter, station officer S Sayyed informed the assistant municipal commissioner that the main gate of the premises is too narrow for fire engines to navigate, forcing three firefighting vehicles to remain parked outside the compound. This has compromised the station’s ability to respond swiftly to emergencies. Despite repeated requests from the fire department to widen the gate and remove a road divider blocking access, the Gandhibagh zone office has taken no action. The urgency of the situation became evident on Sunday when a fire broke out at a two-storey building in the Handloom Market complex within the Gandhibagh area. The blaze, which started around 1pm, destroyed the office of advocate Shrichand Kundwani, damaging computers and furniture. While residents and traders managed to prevent the fire from spreading, the response required coordination from multiple stations. Station officer Sayyed and his team arrived at the scene, but additional fire tenders had to be dispatched from the Cotton Market and Civil Lines stations due to local congestion. Local leaders, including corporator Sanjay Balpande and BJP city president Dayashankar Tiwari, visited the site to assess the damage.#shrichand_kundwani #sanjay_balpande #dayashankar_tiwari #gandhibagh_zone #ganjipeth_fire_station
