The ‘Great’ Nag Road challenge: Where’s space for two-wheeler riders ?

Staff Reporter

THE under construction fly-over on Great Nag Road and multiple works underway along the stretch from Reshimbag Square to Jagnade Square are causing great inconvenience not only to the commuters, but to the residents and traders as well. Like other areas where various road and fly-over works are underway, this major road also the Public Works Department (PWD), Government of Maharashtra, have failed to consider the pain citizens are suffering due to the haphazard and unplanned works. The administration is constructing a fly-over to reduce traffic-jams and smooth movement of all type of vehicles on Great Nag Road from Sitabuldi to various parts of East Nagpur. The flyover will curtail the travelling time by 10-15 minutes. For construction of the flyover, the major part of the road is blocked throughout the stretch with barricades on both sides due to which the traffic is moving at snail’s pace. The road stretch is already upgraded with cement concrete but a recent pipeline laying work has made the commuters fight for space. For, paver blocks removed for laying pipeline are not put back in place and exposed to weather.

In recent rainfall, the dug up road has become uneven and muddy making commuters, specially two-wheeler riders ride on cement road and vie for proper space to move ahead. The mess has made the situation worse. This has shrunk the actual motorable space further creating flash points for the road users who have to risk their lives daily. The residents and shop-owners had protested againt poor condition of the road citing it unsafe due to plying of heavy vehicles dominating the available space with rash and negligent manner. Despite protest, neither the agency nor the authority concerned has remained unconcerned. Normally, taking Great Nag Road, it takes half an hour to reach Sitabuldi area from Jagnade Square, but due to ongoing flyover construction work, the commuters are struggling to cross the stretch for more than an hour while during office hours the travel time stretched further. Citizens have to bear the brunt of development works right from Reshimbag Square to Jagnade Square as the administration is least bother to address these issues. Along with poor condition of the road the water logging during monsoon adding the trouble for commuters.

The citizens have to face this trouble for a year at least as the work is going on in a very slow pace and no one is addressing the issues of the public. As per the rule, the government contractor should maintain the temporary road which is in use for traffic movement. However, the contractor of the work flouted all rules and continues his work without considering the trouble of the people. Last year in July, a 16-year-old student was crushed to death under the rear wheels of a fuel tanker near Ravi Nagar Square. The student died just because of poor maintenance of temporary stretch at Amravati Road where another flyover is under construction. Is the administration waiting for similar incident at Great Nag Road to understand the pain of commuters?