Traffic congestion has become the daily course for the Nagpurians. Delays in reaching the office, schools, and colleges have become routine. The major reason is the ongoing construction of roads by the cash-strapped Nagpur Municipal Corporation.
Usually the Municipal Commissioner and Administrator issue notifications for closure of the road and direct the construction contractor the responsibility of managing the traffic on the roads under construction. In most of such notifications issued the construction period is about three months. However, it is never completed within the stipulated time. Let it be a bridge near Panchasheel Square, near the University Library, the Narendra Nagar underpass, an underpass connecting Manish Nagar and Kachore Patil Square, a cement road parallel to the railway line in Manish Nagar, and several other areas.
These are some of the major roads in the city required to be travelled by commuters from various localities.
The Narendra Nagar underpass has not been repaired for the last several months. The problem of its closure on most days during the monsoon season has not yet been completely sorted out. The same is the case with the underpass connecting Manish Nagar from Ujjwal Nagar on Wardha Road. Flyovers near Hotel Radisson Blu and Ajni-Airport are options to cross the railway line. The commuters are required to travel several kilometers to reach the desired place which is only a few meters away. Many commuters could be seen travelling on the wrong side on the flyovers taking risks for their lives. Access to the flyover near Ajni Square becomes difficult due to the ongoing construction work.
With construction work going on in every locality, a large number of vehicles enter small bylanes adding to the congestion. Air pollution is another problem faced by people due to construction work and the movement of vehicles in small lanes.
As if congestion at Narendra Nagar Railway Under Bridge (RUB) was not enough excavation on the sides of the ring road from Narendra Nagar towards Manewada has also been started. Heavy machinery used for the construction work and excavation aggravates the situation for the commuters.
In the name of beautification plantation on road dividers, near footpaths can be seen. Maintenance of roads and quality of construction, however, remains neglected. Paver blocks are used on both sides of cement roads, which come out within a few months. Cracks are often seen on the newly constructed cement roads. At the same time, hundreds of fully grown trees are being choked on the road parallel to the railway track in Manish Nagar.
Nagpur Municipal Corporation has been often called ‘Cash-strapped’, which appears as an eyewash when ongoing construction work is seen. If the quality of the construction is taken care of, NMC will not be required to spend money on these roads every year. Beautification is also related to the comfort of commuters.