That unsettling question now defines the sprawling Area-Based Development (ABD) zone in Pardi, Punapur, Bharatwada and Bhandewadi, a stretch of 1730 acres, where gleaming public buildings rise from vast stretches of silence, vacant land and disconnected roads that leads to nowhere. The newly built Pardi Police Station, Pardi Fire Station and Skill Development Office -- developed by Nagpur Smart & Sustainable City Development Corporation Limited (NSSCDCL) and recently handed over to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) -- stand polished and ready, almost like a city prepared for residents who have yet to arrive. But with sparse population and limited urban activity across large parts of Pardi, Punapur, Bharatwada and Bhandewadi, residents are increasingly asking: who exactly will use these grand facilities today?

 

The Smart City ABD project was projected as East Nagpur’s grand urban transformation. Under the 60:40 land pooling model, residents surrendered large portions of land for roads and civic infrastructure with promises of seamless connectivity, rising land value and organised development. However, a ground visit by The Hitavada reveals a sharply different reality. Roads to nowhere Several newly constructed roads abruptly end into vacant land, muddy stretches and undeveloped patches. In some places, incomplete roads dangerously open towards nullahs without proper barricading, making night travel risky.

 

The proposed connectivity from Bhandara Road through Pardi towards Kalamna Town remains incomplete in multiple stretches. Motorists travelling after dark encounter sudden dead ends, broken surfaces and poorly lit diversions. Despite crores spent on infrastructure, continuous start-to-end road connectivity remains missing across several sections of the ABD zone. Work done in clear patches’ When questioned, NSSCDCL officials admitted that roads were constructed only in stretches free from legal disputes or pending land acquisition cases to speed up tendering and execution. Several stretches remain incomplete as compensation and land-related disputes continue. The Larger question The irony is difficult to ignore.

 

In many parts of Nagpur, residents spend years demanding basic roads and civic amenities. Here, wide roads and modern public facilities stand in areas where population remains sparse and urban activity limited. Who exactly are these facilities meant for today? Was the planning driven by actual urban demand -- or by the urgency to complete projects, question the few dare devils who are residing in the area. If roads still fail to safely connect Bhandara Road to Kalamna through Pardi, can this truly be called “Smart City” development? For now, East Nagpur’s Smart City vision appears less like a thriving urban corridor and more like expensive infrastructure waiting for a population that has yet to arrive.