8 new hospitals in Dhantoli                                                                                                                                Compounding the situation, it was revealed in the court that dhantoli is set to welcome eight new hospitals. This surge in healthcare facilities is expected to further strain the already overburdened residential area. With numerous hospitals already operational, the addition of these new facilities is anticipated to worsen the ongoing parking and traffic problems for the local residents 

 

THE Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has formed a Joint Inspection Committee (J IC). The committee will oversee actions by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and the City Police related to parking spaces, hospitals, and various public issues in the area. The move is aimed to ease life of Dhantoli residents from hapazard parking, illegal vendors, and civic issues. The newly established Joint Inspection Committee will be chaired by Devendra Pradhan (61), the Secretary of Dhantoli Nagrik Mandal, Architect Paramjeet Singh Ahuja as a member, along with representatives from the NMC and the City Police. Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Abhay Mantri have directed both the NMC and the City Police to suggest suitable members for the committee and their respective roles. The committee’s inaugural meeting is scheduled for August 26, where they will finalise their agenda and operational model. Additionally, the court has mandated that the minutes of each meeting be formally recorded and submitted. During the hearing on Wednesday, Advocate Ashwin Deshpande raised serious concerns about the ongoing inefficacy of the NMC’s efforts.

 

He underliend that despite the NMC’s affidavit stating they are taking action, the problems persist. Specifically, he noted that hawkers often return to the same areas after NMC operations conclude, and that hospital parking spaces are inadequate. Adv Deshpande also reported that hawkers have occupied parking spaces meant for hospital use which create traffic disruptions. The court expressed frustration over what it perceived as the NMC’s lack of action and orally instructed the NMC’s counsel to file an affidavit from the Municipal Commissioner addressing gross violations of building plans. Justice Sambre orally demanded that the NMC provide names of officials responsible for oversight and specify the actions that would be taken against those failing to address these issues.

 

This is not the first time these issues have been brought to the court’s attention. During a hearing in June, the court was shocked to learn about encroachments by hospitals on parking spaces in Dhantoli, with encroachments spanning between 3,000 and 5,000 square feet. Despite claims from the NMC’s counsel that these encroachments had been addressed in 2015, the court was concerned that these structures might have been rebuilt or that new issues had emerged. Complaints also were raised about some doctors locking parking spaces and making the spaces inaccessible to patients and hospital staff.