Planners again fox Nagpurians by first designing and then jamming road facility at Manish Nagar
| Date :18-Nov-2020 |
A Curve of Danger: Vehicles moving in either direction at one of the sharp curves inside Manish Nagar RuB as authorities look the other way. (Pic by Satish Raut)
By Sagar Mohod :
Newly-opened RoB and RuB was meant for movement of traffic on either side, but by the time of completion designers and planners panicked and put restrictions by converting the same into one-way facility but with no enforcement, people are ignoring the risk of mishaps and using the same for movement of two way traffic
One has to admire the agility of planners and along with them that of our city leaders for going out of way to create maze after maze in name of development in the second capital of State. Latest project that joins the long list of puzzles that are being created and recreated with puzzling alacrity by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is the Manish Nagar railway overbridge (RoB) and railway under bridge (RuB). Going by challenges posed for citizens the planners seem to be a confused lot while drawing-up and then executing ambitious development agenda in the city.
What would have been a joyous occasion for citizens at dedication of RoB and RuB has ended-up creating multiple road blocks thereby hindering smooth movement of traffic on either side of the railway track, Wardha Road and Manish Nagar. In short the confusion of planners has again foxed the Nagpurians and left them to devise best available solution, though it is not without inherent dangers, said Rahul Kumar who daily has to face the quandary while negotiating the said stretch. So ignoring safety of theirs and that of others, people are jumping the gun and violating restrictions imposed by authorities in usage of RoB and RuB for one way movement only. But with no enforcement, people are happy ignoring safety of themselves as well of others who are going by rule and using same as one way.
So day in and day out, those visiting Manish Nagar and adjoining localities and vice-versa continue to flout the one way restriction with brazen regularity. Though one may say citizens are at fault but bigger culprits are the technocrats and planners whose faulty design and execution of development projects in city has created this mess in the first place. The RoB and RuB was designed to overcome difficulties faced by citizens while negotiating the Somalwada railway crossing.
Since Khapri-Nagpur section is perennially busy with rail traffic the gate remains frequently closed thereby wasting precious time of citizens. Hence, then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had promised RoB at Somalwada crossing. But due to technical problems the RoB site was shifted little ahead cutting through the Ujjwal Nagar residential area. Along with RoB, the brilliant planners also incorporated RuB but same hit the hurdle of citizens who refused to shift from their ancestral homes forcing sharp change in the design. Now the underground tunnel is designed in such a way that it poses a perennial risk in case traffic moves at a time from either side. As per Indian Road Congress (IRC) norms a subway should not have blind and transition curves, said experts. But a look at Manish RuB it seems for NHAI and other Government agency IRC norms are alien.
However wise lot that they are the visionary planners one fine day said the RuB will be opened to facilitate movement from Ujjwal Nagar to Manish Nagar only and not vice-versa. This was sharp about turn on part of officials since Maha Metro, it has executed the project on behalf of NHAI, bosses had claimed that RuB would facilitate to and fro movement ensuring direct connectivity of Wardha Road with the suburbs. RoB a Mess: Same is the case with RoB, where road blocks have been put to prevent left turn from double decker fly-over to move onto Manish Nagar part by the Maha Metro officials. Officials are not forthcoming real reason for this curb, saying same is a temporary measure. But one fails to understand the logic of Government machinery that seems to take great pleasure in troubling Nagpurians no end, said Shekhar B, another resident of extended suburbs of Manish Nagar. The design of RoB has incorporated Up and Down movement to and fro from Manish Nagar to Wardha Road and vice-versa then what has prompted officials to impose restrictions for citizens one do not know.
People too are ingenious and they are simply wait on the curb of fly-over, its opp. Hotel Airport Centre point where the RoB integrated with double decker, and on noticing that there is no approaching vehicle coming from Manish Nagar side they take a left turn and zoom onto RoB, note that same is though banned officially. In short, officials seems to take people's convenience for granted and force them to violate the rules to gloss over their faults, said Rajshekhar Shiralkar, a resident of Manish Nagar, who has to daily factor in the choice of whether to break the rule or follow the same and take circuitous turn to reach Wardha Road. When contacted Maha Metro spokesperson said their task was limited to execution of project on behalf of NHAI and they are no way responsible for enforcement of one way rule on RoB and RuB.