Heavy rains brought Nagpur to a standstill on Tuesday. Thousands of commuters remained stuck in traffic for more than two hours. Vehicles barely moved on several major roads. Yet, the Nagpur Traffic Police did not issue a single traffic advisory or diversion alert. Absence of traffic management at many spots left motorists angry and helpless. The worst traffic jam was reported on Wardha Road double-decker flyover. Vehicles remained stranded for hours. Many frustrated motorists made U-turns in the middle of the flyover and drove back. Despite the chaos, there was no visible effort by the traffic police to clear the jam or regulate traffic. A major traffic jam was also reported at Koradi Naka after a truck broke down on the road during peak hours. Long queues of vehicles formed within minutes. Commuters said they remained stuck for a long time before traffic started moving again. Heavy congestion was reported on Railway Station Road. Many commuters asked others to avoid the route.

 

The Loha Pul- Ganesh Tekdi Bus Stand stretch also remained clogged. Buses and auto-rickshaws stopping on the roadside made the situation worse. Traffic crawled near Ajni Railway Station (Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar Square). Ongoing road work added to the delays. Long queues were also seen on Bhandara Road, Wardha Road and near Automotive Square. Water-logging reduced the road width and slowed traffic further at many areas. Several subways went under water after the rain. Many roads became partially submerged. Motorists had to take longer routes. This increased traffic pressure across the city. Traffic jams and slow-moving vehicles were also reported from Sitabuldi, Cotton Market, Variety Square, Jhansi Rani Square, Ravi Nagar, Shankar Nagar, Sadar, Wadi, Chhatrapati Square, Trimurti Nagar, Manish Nagar, Narendra Nagar, Hingna Road and Kamptee Road.

 

Commuters were upset over the absence of traffic police at key junctions. Even staff from local police stations were missing from many busy stretches. There was no one to regulate traffic, divert vehicles or guide motorists. Lack of real-time traffic updates only added to the chaos. Citizens questioned why the Traffic Police were under prepared despite advance weather forecasts. There were no timely advisories. There was no visible contingency plan. Tuesday’s traffic chaos once again exposed serious gaps in the city’s rain time traffic management and raised serious questions over the preparedness of the Nagpur Traffic Police.