Chowpatties Eating Into City Roads, Causing Chaos & Filth

Nagpur: The battle for Nagpur's roads is no longer limited to the tug-of-war between honking traffic and harried pedestrians. There's a new player steadily claiming its slice of the streets — chowpatties. These roadside eateries, once sporadic and seasonal, are now mushrooming into full-fledged food hubs, steadily gobbling up public space, turning clear roads into crowded food lanes.

Despite crackdowns by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and the city's traffic police on encroachments across roads, footpaths, and open grounds, mushrooming of these makeshift food courts continues unabated. In fact, it's no longer about pre-existing ones returning — new 'chowpatties' are springing up faster than these can be removed.

A TOI reality check across several pockets of the city revealed the scale of the problem. From Bajaj Nagar, IT Park Road and Shankar Nagar, to Jaripatka, Wardhaman Nagar, Reshimbagh Ground, Besa Road, New Manish Nagar Road, and Wardha Road — the list of affected areas keeps expanding. Places like Narendra Nagar, Telankhedi, Vayusena Nagar Road, Civil Lines, and Sadar are also in the grip of this trend. But perhaps the most prominent example right now is near the plush Radisson Blu Hotel, where an open plot has transformed into a 'chowpatty' with nearly 20 food joints operating on either side of the road daily.

Speaking to TOI, Rahul Kulkarni, a resident of the area near Radisson Blu hotel, said everyday hundreds of people, mostly youths, visit the chowpatty. "Food joints and ‘paan' thelas are set up on both sides of the road. Youth park their vehicles on roads and footpaths which hinder our movement. We cannot go out for a stroll as we have to walk in the middle of the road which could lead to accidents. The chaos continues till late night," he said.

Another resident, Satish Dixit, said vendors have put up multiple stools in front of their joints. "Recently, when an India vs Pakistan match took place, its live screening was also done here. Even at night, roads are filled with youths smoking and drinking. Some do it inside cars while some in the open. It has become a menace," said Dixit, adding waste is also dumped by vendors and customers at the spot.

Locals have raised questions on why NMC or police do not act against these vendors. "So many vendors are operating illegally. Apart from this, anti-social elements create ruckus at night, but NMC and police freeze in their tracks," said a local.

As per a senior NMC official, so far the civic body has not made plans to create 'chowpatties' in the city where vendors can be shifted. "These are operating illegally and it's the duty of zonal offices to act against them," said the official.

Vivek Gupta, a resident of Mate Square, said vendors on IT Park had been operating again openly. "Earlier, vendors had stopped coming after action by police and NMC. Now, vendors have returned with a bang and customers are parking vehicles on the road," said Gupta.

Many of the citizens suggested that in every major area, NMC should find a location where they can set up such chowpatties so that locals won't be affected and vendors too will not suffer. "It can also become a major source of income for NMC," suggested a resident.