Digged & Restored, Road Continues To Break Bad

Nagpur: Pipeline laid, road restored, yet nearly half-a-kilometre of the 1.8km stretch from Gandhi Nagar Square to VNIT square remains a nightmare for motorists.
The restoration, meant to match IRC standards, by the pipeline-laying contractor Abhi Engineering Private Ltd turned out to be an eyewash given its uneven surface which resembles a crater-ridden road, turning into a virtual accident-prone trap, especially for two-wheeler riders.The condition of the road is worsening with each spell of rain.

This despite municipal commissioner and Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s administrator Abhijeet Chaudhari having slapped a fine of ₹5 lakh on the contractor for shoddy restoration work in June. “The fine amount should be increased if the contractor falters again,” Chaudhari had warned.
On June 6, Chaudhari also ordered the NMC to penalize contractors, and if necessary, file an FIR for inadequate restoration of trenches dug for pipeline installation under the Amrut 2.0 scheme. This action was followed by a severe accident in May in which a middle-aged person sustained serious injuries after his two-wheeler skidded on the uneven stretch.
After receiving complaints from citizens, TOI inspected the 1.8km Gandhi Nagar Square-Abhyankar Nagar Square stretch on Saturday and found the left side of the road and beyond completely uneven due to poor restoration work. In contrast, the road restoration work in Civil Lines, particularly in front of the NMC headquarters, was of top quality. This disparity highlights inconsistent work by private contractors when it comes to the civic infrastructure projects, rued motorists.
“Accidents are common on this stretch,” said Prashant Ashtankar, who runs an automobile workshop on the road. He added that the road has been in poor condition for the last couple of months. It was first dug up for pipeline installation, with the pit being left open for almost 10 days. After numerous accidents and complaints to the local police station, the contractor began the restoration work.
However, locals claim the restoration work was substandard, requiring the contractor to relay the stretch four to five times in the last one month. “Again, the restored patch has turned uneven with two-wheelers struggling to negotiate during heavy traffic,” said Ashtankar.
Defending the contractor, NMC’s officiating chief engineer (PWD) Leena Upadhyay attributed the poor road conditions to the increased traffic intensity following the diversion caused by the Ambazari bridge demolition. She pointed out that there was no provision for restoration in the work order for Abhi Engineering. Despite this, the contractor completed the restoration work, but it failed to hold up as motorists began using the stretch immediately.
“Since the road will be concretized, I sought two months’ time from the traffic police for complete restoration but permission was denied,” said Upadhyay.
TOI has been reporting how ongoing infrastructure projects, while being beneficial in the long term, are causing hardships and posing safety risks to motorists due to insufficient safety measures.
With the closure of the road near Ambazari dam for a new bridge, traffic on this road has increased significantly. “The otherwise less-trafficked road is now busy from early morning to late at night,” said Vaibhav Thakur, another local.
Mahesh Bhedodkar, who lives in Hingna and has been using the road for nearly a month, expressed concern about the inadequate street lights. “The insufficient illumination makes it even more challenging for motorists to identify the uneven sections of the road,” he said.
He narrowly escaped a serious accident after losing control over his two-wheeler due to the poor condition of the road. “While riding, I fell and was almost run over by a four-wheeler, but its driver swiftly applied the brakes, and I survived,” Bhedodkar said.
He emphasized the need for better maintenance and lighting along the stretch to prevent such incidents in the future.