NMC Closes Narendra Nagar RuB Again, Causing Traffic Chaos
Nagpur, India- The convenience of citizens seems to be ignored in the city, as various Government departments close roads without warning. There appears to be no clear planning, forcing people to adjust to the chaos. For example, the Narendra Nagar railway underbridge (RuB) has been closed again by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), causing traffic jams. This is frustrating because one side of the RuB, from Chhatrapati Nagar to Rameshwari Road, reopened a month ago after a long closure for railway bridge work.
While road closures for development are sometimes necessary, better coordination could make things easier for citizens. Now, NMC is laying a new water pipeline and has closed the same RuB stretch. The road on both sides of the RuB is dug up for the new 900 mm pipeline as part of the Amrut Yojana.
The Narendra Nagar stretch on Inner Ring Road has been a traffic nightmare for over three months. Increased traffic on the Ring Road means any one-way movement causes jams. No effective measures were taken previously to reduce the problem, causing severe inconvenience for citizens. NMC could have planned their pipeline work while the RuB was already closed for railway work, but there was no coordination.
During the RuB closure for railway work, NMC could have scheduled their pipeline work to avoid another closure. However, this didn't happen, and now Ring Road users face the same issues again.
Traders are the worst affected, as heavy traffic makes it hard for customers to reach their shops. Observing the road at Narendra Nagar RuB during peak hours shows the massive chaos. The Traffic Control Branch of Nagpur City Police is already stretched thin and cannot spare manpower to manage traffic at such spots. With all other roads also crowded, there are no good options for diversions.
At the very least, NMC should put up notice boards informing citizens about the work timeline. Until then, citizens have to deal with the unplanned and inconvenient actions of the officials.
