With no maintenance, Khapri RoB poses grave threat to commuters
| Date :19-Oct-2020 |
Hariyali aur ‘No’ Rasta: Dangling tree branches and damaged
road surface pose twin challenge on Khapri railway overbridge for commuters. (Pic by Satish Raut)
Staff Reporter :
If negotiating through a curved and narrow Khapri railway overbridge (RoB) was not dangerous enough the current shabby condition of carriageway has made it more treacherous for the commuters. With authorities turning a blind eye to shabby conditions of roads, commuters are safe only due to benevolence of God. What else can explain the horrible conditions on the RoB, driving through it sends shivers down the spine due to faulty design, and non-maintenance is adding to slippery conditions on the narrow stretch.
The Khapri RoB links city to road ahead that heads to Butibori, Hyderabad and Wardha and is located on the National Highway, means it is perennially busy with movement of heavy vehicles. But with washing of top tar surface, the ramp of RoB is posing serious dangers to safety of commuters. Same is the condition while one descends and heads towards the city and the surface gets tricky leaving one confused whether to avoid the extended bushes or to balance vehicle on loose gravel on the road surface. Agreed that Hariyali aur Rasta (greenery and road) is an ideal concept but authorities’ neglect of maintenance of RoB has exposed citizens to great dangers.
Moreso for two-wheeler riders negotiating the Khapri RoB in present condition is more challenging as a swirl of dust is formed after passage of a heavy vehicle. A rider has to ensure that the fine dust particles do not enter the eyes and block the view while passing through the dirt track and a slight movement can lead to vehicle loosing the grip due to loose gravel that has formed on the path. The danger to riders has increased manifold due to non-maintenance of the RoB surface and if same conditions prevail the overgrown branches would further extend on to carriageway.
Even small bushes and vegetation are rapidly increasing on the ramps on both sides that has further reduced available path for passage of vehicles. So the riders have to be extreme careful to avoid the bushes that now have shot past the barriers and pose lurking danger to anyone wanting to stray on to shoulder for purpose of safety. The RoB is catering to two-way traffic as the adjoining lane was taken up for construction after years. The surplus monsoon rains this year has taken it toll on tar surfaces that washed away exposing the bitumen and loose gravel. Given the gross neglect on part of the authorities for riders it’s a daily brush with luck. While in city, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) do fills up potholes, there is no one to take care of surfaces on Railway Overbridges (RoB) and fly-overs as if they exist in no man’s land.