The Ambazari Bridge will be open for traffic by March 31 while the removal of the cable wire near the bridge is set to be completed by February 28, according to an affidavit submitted by the Divisional Commissioner in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court. In the affidavit, Additional Divisional Commissioner Dr Madhavi Khode Chaware provided an update on the ongoing project and informed the court that the State Government has allocated Rs 3.77 crore to facilitate the transfer of the cable. The removal of the 11 kilowatt electricity wire, which has halted work on one side of the bridge, is scheduled to be completed by the end of February. As a result, the bridge work is expected to be finished by March 31 and both sides of the bridge will be opened for traffic by April 1.

 

The District Collector has also submitted a proposal with a request of Rs 856 crore for the development of the Ambazari dam and surrounding areas which also include deepening of the Naag River, Pili River, and Pohra River, along with construction of the Ambazari spillway. This proposal has been forwarded to the Chief Secretary for consideration. The High Court has ordered the Chief Secretary to provide a clarification by March 12. The petition was heard by Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Vrushali Joshi on Tuesday.

 

The ongoing bridge work had been halted due to the proximity of the electricity cable, but the project is now on track for completion. Following the Ambazari dam’s overflow during heavy rains in September 2023, which caused a major damage in the area, local citizens filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the authorities. This petition is still pending in the High Court. Adv Tushar Mandlekar represented the petitioners, Adv Dnyanesh Kale for MSETCL and Adv Gemini Kasat for NMC and Adv Deepak Thakre for State.