Nagpur: Following orders from the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court regarding potholes on cement concrete roads, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has announced the formation of a special technical team under Chief Engineer Leena Upadhyay. The team will inspect all cement concrete roads that have developed potholes and study the causes behind their formation.
Additionally, the NMC will now require all agencies digging roads within its jurisdiction to obtain no objection certificates (NOCs) from the civic body. The move aims to address the issue of potholes and trenches caused by utility installations and improve the condition of city’s roads, ensuring smoother travel for motorists.
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According to a senior official from NMC’s Public Works Department, the team will study the causes of potholes and trenches on CC roads. The official noted that most potholes have formed due to utility installations and emphasised the importance of stricter regulations for road digging. The official, however, clarified that none of the CC roads constructed under Phase-I, II, and III have developed potholes, and their defect liability periods have ended.
Though permission from the NMC has always been mandatory for road digging, enforcement has been lax. The NMC now intends to strictly enforce the NOC requirement.
“The present condition of the roads in Nagpur is precarious, as experienced by motorists. One major factor is the mismanagement and unplanned execution of road work,” observed the division bench of Justice Nitin Sambhre and Justice Abhay Mantri.
The High Court bench highlighted the improper alignment and poor supervision of cement roads, leading to water logging, bumpy rides, and road accidents.
The NMC’s special team will visit all trenched road spots and suggest corrective measures, including proper restoration. “The restoration work will be done through contractors involved in digging roads for laying utilities,” the official said.
NMC boss inspects Kelibagh, Pahalwan cement roads
Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Abhijeet Chaudhari inspected Kelibagh and Ramji Pahalwan Roads in Mahal on Thursday, emphasising the need to prevent waterlogging by checking the level of the under-construction road. During the inspection, MLC Pravin Datke informed the Commissioner about various issues in the area.
Chaudhari directed that the land earmarked on Ramji Pahalwan Road be taken into possession by a joint team of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and the Public Works Department (PWD) on August 5.
He also assured that the issues highlighted by Datke would be resolved promptly.
Chaudhari instructed officials that the land earmarked on Ramji Pahalwan Road, as well as land purchased through private negotiations by NMC should be seized by a joint team of the land acquisition department, assistant commissioner of the zone, land records, and town planning department on Monday. Additionally, he directed the PWD to ensure completion of the bridge work on the drain on Kelibagh road promptly.
