The traffic situation in West Nagpur has reached a critical juncture, particularly in areas surrounding Shankar Nagar Square, LAD Square, Abhyankar Nagar Square, Mate Square, Bajaj Nagar, Subhash Nagar, and near the Ambazari dam. This congestion stems from the closure of the thoroughfare between the Ambazari overflow point and Ambazari T-point by the state public works department, aimed at dismantling the bridge over the Nag river. In response, the traffic police proposed alternative routes for motorists on June 8, suggesting the use of the Subhash Nagar-Mate Square-Abhyankar Nagar-Shankar Nagar road for travelers commuting from Hingna to Sitabuldi.
Likewise, an alternative route was suggested from Hingna T-point to Wadi T-Point via MIDC to access Amravati Road. Despite these measures, the traffic situation continues to pose significant challenges.
Deputy Commissioner Shashikant Satao, back from leave on Wednesday, has assured extra manpower to ease traffic. Ongoing pipeline work from LAD Square to Abhaynakar Nagar causes substantial delays, turning a mere 500m stretch into a time-consuming ordeal. Commuters face slow progress due to roadside businesses, vendors, and long queues. Alerts about alternate routes have been issued, but pipeline installation will persist for 15 to 20 days. Large machinery and restricted road access exacerbate delays, leaving vehicles stranded for over an hour.
The closure of Ambazari road by the Public Works Department (PWD) has exacerbated traffic congestion, exacerbated by roadside eateries and vendors obstructing all routes. Even during peak evening hours, these vendors occupy a considerable portion of the roads, worsening congestion. Motorists have voiced criticism against the NMC’s anti-encroachment team and zone officials for allegedly disregarding these unauthorized vendors, implying possible collusion.
Taxpayers are feeling the effects of this lenient enforcement, dealing with long traffic delays and inconvenience. Vehicles from both directions struggle to move, sometimes needing to reverse, making congestion worse. This frustrates people who have to wait a long time, including emergency vehicles. Traffic police try to help by controlling signals, especially during busy evening hours when people come back from work. Some motorcyclists even ride on sidewalks to get through traffic, showing how bad the situation is and why we need to fix Nagpur’s traffic problems soon.