Although innovation in construction sector is reaching new zenith, railway under passes (RuB) in city, it seems, are still reeling in by-gone era and this explains teething troubles that commuters continue to face owing to clueless authorities. Or simply, the powers that have turned a blind eye towards the problems of water-logging, and now muddy pathway leaving the people to fend for themselves. Two important subways, one that of Narendra Nagar and the other one, relatively new, Manish Nagar RuB, continue to test the resilience of Nagpurians.

 

The Public Works Department (PWD) is still struggling to find ways to keep the Narendra Nagar RuB dry, the Manish Nagar RuB, it seems, is no one’s baby. Constructed by the then team of Maha Metro, Manish Nagar RuB is a classic study on how not to construct public projects. For residents and daily commuters, especially during the rain, Manish Nagar underpass gets heavily water-logged even after a short spell of rain, creating severe problems for people who use the route regularly. Due to poor drainage, rainwater accumulates quickly and remains stagnant for days. Now adding to problem, the road has become muddy and slippery making it more risky for two-wheeler riders. Commuters often struggle to move and several accidents have been reported because bikers lost balance on the wet and uneven surface.

 

People in the area say that the problem is not new, but continues year after year without any proper solution. Even when it does not rain heavily, a little shower is enough to fill the underpass with water and mud. Locals are frustrated with the situation and are now urging the authorities to take strong and regular action. Residents have suggested that Traffic Police should be deployed at both ends of the underpass to control the movement of vehicles and monitor the situation because the underpass is in between two residential roads, so people coming from these roads sometimes get blindspotted and enter the underpass and collide with the vehicle coming from the front. People believe that having a traffic officer on duty can help prevent accidents and ensure vehicles move safely. Some citizens have also questioned the need for the underpass in the first place when a fly-over already existed. “If there is already a fly-over, what is the use of this underpass? Even if it is there, then it should be properly maintained,” said a local commuter. People have also demanded regular cleaning of the drainage system and immediate removal of water whenever it collects in the underpass. 

 

 

A similar problem is being faced at the Narendra Nagar underpass, though the situation there is slightly better compared to Manish Nagar. Still, both areas reflect the poor maintenance of the city’s underpasses, which pose risks to commuters during monsoon. Residents hope that NMC and the concerned departments will take quick action before the next rain creates more inconvenience and danger for the people. The stretch from Chhatrapati Nagar towards Narendra Nagar remains filled with water and PWD does not have any mechanism to ensure that it is de-watered from time to time. Traffic slows down due to presence of water from rains as the drains are not properly aligned.