VNIT Permits Two-Wheelers Through Campus After Legal Battles
Citizens can finally relax as the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) has agreed to temporarily open its 1.2 km road, allowing only two-wheelers to pass through its campus. This decision comes after weeks of legal battles and public complaints about restricted access due to construction near the Ambazari dam. Divisional Commissioner Vijaylaxmi Bidari and Commissioner of Police Dr Ravinder Singal met with VNIT officials on Friday. Dr Singal explained the public’s problems caused by the construction, and VNIT officials agreed to let two-wheelers use this road.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Traffic Shashikant Satav told the media that it will take at least three days to open the road completely. This process involves breaking a part of VNIT’s wall near the Indian Oil petrol pump (Ambazari police station) to allow vehicle entry. From this point to Gate No. 3 near LAD College, the road will only be for two-wheelers, and four-wheelers will not be permitted. DCP Satav assured that traffic police will manage the traffic to keep students and staff safe.
“At each junction, traffic police will put up barricades and plastic cones,” he said. He also mentioned that traffic might be stopped briefly during student movements for safety. On Thursday, Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Abhay Mantri of the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court urged the State Government and district administration to solve the access problem at VNIT. VNIT’s Associate Dean, Mangesh Madurwar, said during court that the institute’s roads are not suitable for heavy traffic. Despite earlier meetings, VNIT officials were initially hesitant to open the road, but the High Court’s intervention made them agree.
