The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has raised serious concerns about the deteriorating state of Nagpur’s roads, attributing the increase in road accidents to poor oversight by civic authorities. In response, the court has established a committee led by the Commissioner of Police, including members from the NMC, Traffic Police, Nagpur Improvement Trust, and Maha Metro. The committee has been tasked with submitting recommendations by August 30, 2024. Key focus areas include traffic police staffing, inter-agency coordination, traffic signal assessment, volunteer deployment, and a time-bound plan for addressing road alignment and maintenance issues.
The judges identified several key areas for the committee to focus on, including assessing traffic police manpower, improving coordination among stakeholders, evaluating the traffic signal system, and deploying traffic volunteers. Additionally, they emphasized the need for a time-bound plan to address road alignment issues and requested details on ensuring road maintenance across all seasons.
The judges emphasized the importance of adequate traffic management resources, stating, “If the current manpower is insufficient, the panel should report the additional numbers needed to regulate traffic, so the court can seek a response from the government regarding the creation of additional posts.”
The court was addressing a suo motu Public Interest Litigation initiated in response to local media reports highlighting hazardous road conditions caused by potholes, which have led to fatal accidents. Raheel Mirza has been appointed as the amicus curiae for the case.
The judges pointed to specific trouble spots, including the left turn towards the Institute of Science from Sitabuldi, just below the metro rail station, where riders struggle to navigate. They also directed the NMC City/Chief Engineer to provide details on the policy for granting road-cutting permissions and to clarify who is responsible for restoring roads to their original condition.
“The significant increase in the number of vehicles, both two-wheelers and four-wheelers, whether private or commercial, in Nagpur is apparent, along with a shortage of adequate parking spaces,” the court observed. “Incidents of road rage are often reported, stemming from disputes between motorists over parking or while navigating through traffic and narrow roads.”