Nagpur Traffic Snarls Triggered by Road Closure and VIP Movement
Nagpur witnessed severe traffic congestion on Sunday evening, primarily caused by the abrupt closure of one side of the MLA Hostel Road from Raja Rani Chowk to Ahinsa Chowk. This disruption coincided with heavy vehicular movement due to events at nearby venues, creating a perfect storm for gridlock just ahead of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's visit to Desphande Hall to felicitate newly-elected Rajya Sabha member Maya Ivnate.
Road Works and Haphazard Parking Aggravate Situation
The Public Works Department (PWD) is currently executing concretisation work on the Raja Rani Chowk to Ahinsa Chowk stretch. While one side of the road from Ahinsa Chowk to Raja Rani Chowk has been completed, the opposite side was unexpectedly shut for ongoing construction. This forced motorists to take U-turns at already congested mid-junctions, significantly slowing traffic flow.
The situation was further exacerbated by haphazard parking along both sides of the narrowed roadway. Traffic movement towards Satpura Lawns was also severely impacted due to indiscriminate parking, compounding the chaos during peak evening hours.
Traffic Police Intervention and VIP Protocol
Sitabuldi Traffic zone Police Inspector Aniruddha Puri confirmed that the road closure on one side and improperly parked vehicles were primary contributors to the traffic nightmare. "Without wasting time, we made the Ahinsa Chowk to Raja Rani Chowk stretch one-way available for VIP movement and removed many vehicles wrongly parked on the roadside," stated Puri.
He acknowledged that heavy traffic from events at Vasantrao Deshmukh Hall and SCZCC added to the congestion but emphasized that "the problem was resolved before the arrival of VIPs." This swift action prevented further complications during the chief minister's scheduled visit.
Resident Concerns and Official Responses
Local residents and commuters have repeatedly voiced concerns about the slow pace of road concretisation work in Civil Lines and the elevated height of newly-constructed roads. First-time corporator Abhijeet Jha has alleged negligence and poor execution by PWD officials, citing multiple complaints about the ongoing project.
"The elevated roads have increased the risk of flooding during monsoon. Also, the paver blocks being laid are of poor quality," Jha asserted, adding that the stretch has been constructed unevenly, raising safety and functionality issues.
However, a PWD official defended the project, claiming that all necessary measures are being followed for the concretisation work from Tiger Capital Square to Ahinsa Chowk. "Even experts from VNIT have given consent," the official noted, referring to the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology.
Project Details and Future Timeline
The road work, undertaken at an estimated project cost of ₹18 crore, is reportedly nearing completion. The official explained that the stretch near MLA Hostel is currently closed for curing and will reopen in the next seven to eight days. Simultaneously, work will continue on the other side of the roadway.
Addressing flooding concerns, the PWD representative acknowledged that two to three lanes near the Board office lack a proper drainage system and may experience water accumulation. "We will ensure that water from the road does not enter other areas," the official assured, outlining mitigation plans for monsoon preparedness.
This incident highlights the ongoing challenges of urban infrastructure development in Nagpur, where road improvement projects must balance construction timelines with minimizing disruption to daily commuter traffic and accommodating special events and VIP movements.
