Traffic jams are a constant issue in the city, and the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) choice to turn recently laid tar roads into concrete ones will only make things worse for residents.
The Phase IV of NMC’s project to construct concrete roads and footpaths will commence on June 30, with an estimated cost of Rs 300 crores. Among the thirty-three roads scheduled for renovation, nine will be temporarily closed. These include Anand Talkies to Dhantoli Police Station Road, Deo Nagar Square to Swami Vivekanand Square, Somalwar High School Road, and others.
Environmental activist Ashutosh Dabholkar has raised concerns regarding the necessity of cement roads, particularly on already well-maintained tar roads. He highlighted that the specifications for tar roads are comparable to those of airport runways, suggesting that if high-quality tar roads are constructed, they can remain in good condition for up to 15 years. However, But the quality is only on paper and not on the ground. Dabholkar criticized the decision to replace these good tar roads with cement ones, describing it as absurd. He cited the example of the road from Pratap Nagar Square to Somalwar High School Road as one such instance where a well-built tar road is being replaced unnecessarily.
Cement roads also impact the city’s temperature, adding to the rising heatwaves. “The sudden shift of climate can be seen when you switch from a normal road to Ring Road, which is cemented,” he added. Talking about the problems with cement roads, he mentioned that heat was trapped in the cement road not allowing it to cool off easily even during the night as com- pared to tar roads.
Dabholkar asserted that the road planning by NMC goes against the norms set by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and orders from the Supreme Court. These orders emphasize the preservation of trees, requiring a six feet by six feet area around each tree to have soil for air, water, and nutrient flow”Roads are being concretized, and that is the reason behind huge trees getting uprooted at the slightest thunderstorms or rain in the city,” he pointed out.