On reading the news report, ‘From beautification to bumpy rides: Roads cave in at Kachipura Square, Bajaj Nagar Square’ (City Line May 13), I strongly believe that until we establish a robust system of accountability, the condition of our roads and civic infrastructure will continue to deteriorate. The biggest reasons behind this situation are poor-quality materials and equally poor workmanship. Unfortunately, we have largely failed in conducting effective quality audits at every stage - before the work begins, during execution, and after completion. The concept of installing paver blocks on road sides, intersections, and public spaces may appear attractive and practical. In theory, such roads are easier to repair whenever underground work such as pipelines or cables needs attention. However, the reality on the ground is entirely different.

 

Due to inferior quality construction, most commuters avoid riding on these paver-block stretches and instead prefer using the cemented portion of the road for a smoother and safer ride. This itself is enough evidence that the quality of many such works is far below acceptable standards and requires strict auditing and accountability. When poor-quality work goes unchecked and no action is taken against suppliers or contractors, it only encourages further negligence and greed. Contractors become more focused on maximising profits while taxpayers continue to suffer inconvenience, vehicle damage, and unsafe roads. Public money deserves public accountability. Many citizens would still remember the tenure of T Chandrashekhar, who served as the Municipal Commissioner of Nagpur and Chairman of the Nagpur Improvement Trust between 2000 and 2002. During his tenure, Nagpur witnessed a remarkable transformation and emerged as one of the cleanest and most beautiful cities in Maharashtra. What many citizens also remember from that period is that he was reportedly given a free hand by the then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to undertake improvement and beautification works for Nagpur without unnecessary interference.

 

This administrative freedom, coupled with strict monitoring and a result-oriented approach, reflected clearly in the quality and speed of civic works carried out during that time. His administration received several awards for outstanding civic management. Even today, the quality of the work executed during that period remains visible because emphasis was laid on durability, timely completion, and strict supervision. Roads dug for utility works were repaired promptly and with proper quality cement, ensuring minimum inconvenience to the public. A common and frustrating sight today is that a road gets repaired or newly constructed, only to be dug up again within weeks for laying pipelines, communication cables, or other utility works. This happens primarily because of lack of coordination among various Government agencies and utility departments. The absence of synchronised planning results in duplication of work, wastage of public funds, and immense inconvenience to citizens.

 

This raises an important question for the people of Nagpur to consider - is it truly beneficial for the city to have two separate development agencies, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation and the Nagpur Improvement Trust, functioning independently? In many instances, overlapping responsibilities and lack of coordination between these agencies directly affect the efficiency of civic works, while taxpayers bear the consequences. In my opinion, every city should ideally have a single, well-coordinated development authority to ensure better planning, accountability, and execution of public works. More importantly, there must be stringent quality audits and strict action against those responsible for substandard work. One cannot ignore the larger concern here; how many riders and commuters may already be suffering injuries or accidents because of uneven roads, inferior materials, and poor workmanship? Civic beautification should never come at the cost of public safety and convenience.