The caller was truly irritated -- even angry -- that he had to spend more than three quarters of an hour jammed in a terribly slow-moving evening traffic when moderate to heavy rains were lashing the city on June 23, 2026: The scene he described on the phone (to the loosefooter) was really, really chaotic. The man -- a famous architect known for his high-levels of awareness of public issues -- was stuck in traffic moving at snail’s pace. He had appointments lined up for the next two hours, but he could not hasten to reach his destination in time stuck as he was in the traffic that just could not be made to speed up.

 

Stemming from his vast experience of project management, he wondered why, on Earth, can the authorities conclude road construction projects before the start of rainy season. “They should finish all road works latest by May 31 every year so that the road-users are not put to any trouble when the rains come,” he exclaimed. This question needs to be asked of our civic authorities in the most pointed manner. A tight schedule can be drawn up for public works (particularly road works) to be completed before the start of rainy season every year, so that the people are not subjected to uncalled for difficulties. May there be a 3-month holiday in the rainy season during which finish touches could be given to various projects.

 

There is an acceptable logic in this idea. For the past several years, the city has been facing the so-called developmental woes -- roads eternally under construction at this or that spot, most projects getting inordinately delayed for a lack of a planned, time-bound activity, construction material strewn around disrupting the flow of traffic, no proper signages on roads to inform people of the obstruction ahead ... ! This is the story in the city year after year -- particularly during the rainy season: Come rainy season, and the Nagpur city promises itself a greater chaos on roads -- thanks, of course, to the roads under construction for endless months, thanks to the traffic congestion particularly in the evening hours when lakhs of people return home after a hard day’s work, and thanks to the chaotic parking on all roads without exception.

 

When it rains, travelling on any city road becomes a traumatic experience. For, despite the so-called modern road design, despite the sidewalks covered by paver-blocks, there are pools of water at countless places across the city. And when the road is still under construction, the discomfort of the road-users is beyond words. The angry phone call from the celebrated architect was placed to the loosefooter against that background -- with a stark touch of reality ! The loosefooter -- and ‘The Hitavada’ -- has often brought to fore these woes of the suffering public for years on end. It must be stated with complete disgust that the civic authorities of the city have refused to think of ways and means to sort out the problems stemming from their own incompetence.

 

Is this how the administration in a democracy actually works ? Should there be no consideration for people’s problems on the ground just because of the ineptness of the administration ? FOR the past several years -- certainly more than 12 years -- the city of Nagpur has been made to suffer for the civic ineptness. The city roads and other public infrastructure appears to be eternally under construction. There has not been no period when there is no chaotic situation on this or that road or intersection or public place. Do other cities suffer similarly ? Or, this is an administrative paralysis afflicting only Nagpur !