As the monsoon edges closer to Nagpur, commuters across the city are bracing for a particularly rough season — not just because of rain, but because hundreds of roads remain dug up and unrestored after ongoing development works failed to meet pre-monsoon deadlines.
Excavations for sewage lines, water pipelines, electricity cables, cement roads and works under the Amrut scheme have left large stretches of the city’s road network in disarray. While agencies responsible for the digging are required under rules to level and restore roads immediately after work, many sites have been left with loose gravel or no surface cover at all. In several areas, long trenches run down the middle or edges of roads, forcing vehicles to squeeze through narrow gaps.
The problem is compounded by poor inter-agency coordination. In Narendranagar, for instance, a stretch dug up by Mahavitaran for underground cabling four months ago is now being excavated again under the Amrut scheme, leaving residents with months of disruption and no end in sight. Advocate R.P. Joshi, a local resident, said no department appears to exercise any oversight over others.
With rain now imminent, waterlogging fears are mounting. Existing excavations are already disrupting drainage, and once trenches and pits fill with water, the depth becomes invisible to riders — significantly raising the risk of accidents, especially for two-wheelers.
Residents say repeated complaints to civic bodies have yielded little. Pre-monsoon repair orders are issued every year, but project deadlines are routinely missed. Traffic snarls, vehicle damage and accident risk are expected to worsen through the season unless agencies take emergency corrective action.
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