On environment front, it was a seesaw year for Nagpur as the city experienced both significant positive and negative developments throughout 2024. Nagpur was successful in improving its ‘Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan’ ranking in 2024 by reducing its bad air quality as compared to 2023. Nagpur scored rank 15 in 2024 among 47 cities with a population of over 10 lakh. Nagpur scored 169.6 marks to gain the rank 15. Whereas, in 2023, city scored 166 marks and bagged 18th rank out of 47 cities in the country out of 200 points in the survey by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). In contrast of the achievement, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) failed to utilise the funds provided by the Centre under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to improve the city’s air quality and its mitigation. It was revealed by a Portal for Regulation of Air Pollution in Non-Attainment Cities (PRANA), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. In last five years, Central Government released a total of Rs 142.1 crore to NMC for improvement of city’s air quality, of which, only Rs 32.87 crore has been utilised by the civic body in 2024. It also revealed that despite all efforts, the civic body also failed to achieve the standard PM10 level in last five years.

 

The noise pollution is another major concern for the regulating authorities in the city. Keeping the increasing noise level in mind, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) installed four Continuous Noise Monitoring Stations (CNMS) for the first time in city. These four CNMS are providing real-time noise level data of Nagpur for 24 hours and it will automatically upload the data in the MPCB website. The four CNMS will be installed at Town Hall in Mahal, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) near IT Park, Laxminarayan Institute of Technology (LIT) at Amravati Road and MPCB Office in Civil Lines.

 

The Board already has four CAAQMS in these Government-run installations and the noise monitoring stations will be installed at the same allotted spots. MPCB normally conducts noise monitoring during festival season including Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi. The water pollution in Nagpur city is also on the rise as all the water bodies are either drying up or polluted due to anthropogenic activities. In 2024, Ambazari Lake is the worst affected water body in the city as Eichhornia weeds are still causing harm to the aquatic life. Wadi Municipal Council (WMC) is constructing 11 MLD sewage treatment plant (STP) to stop the direct release of sewage into the iconic Ambazari lake. However, it will take six more months to complete the construction of STP. Sonegaon Lake, another iconic water body of the city, is also struggling for its existence.

 

Despite the ongoing rejuvenation work of the lake, the end seems to be near for the water body as discharge of sewage water into the lake bed is clearly visible these days. NMC drained out the water from the lake for desilting, but entering of sewage in the lake is still going on. Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) constructed a STP which is suppose to treat the sewage water and then releasing it in the water body. But, the colour of the water entering the lake is black even after water treatment. Rampant tree felling in city is another environmental concern that became news throughout the year. In absence of local tree committee, Garden Department of NMC is granting permissions for tree felling for various projects across the city. In February, the Department published nine notices of tree felling for different projects. The project proponents asked for the permission to fell 916 trees, including heritage trees. However, the tree committee which was formed in February 2022, was dissolved by the then Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Radhakrishnan B within four months of its formation. In absence of the committee, the Department is on its own deciding on the proposals for cutting trees. In recent development, Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC), Nagpur has sent a proposal to fell 42 full-grown trees, including one 147-year-old ‘rain tree’, in Collectorate premises in Civil Lines. Local environment activists and citizens came in favour to save these trees and conducted ‘Chipko Movement’.