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Nagpur: There are as many as six projects of road-construction in the Nagpur district, under National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), which are pending over past five years, and have not been completed due to official hurdles on the way. But these hurdles could have been removed by the state chief minister and union transport minister, both of whom happen to luckily belong to Nagpur.
It may be recalled that Kamptee-Kanhan and Nagpur bypass along with 177.10 km road between Madhya Pradesh/ Maharashtra border and Nagpur was approved for construction in year 2010, and their construction was to be completed by September 2012. But the cause of delay is reported to be the first stage approval for diversion of 49.2 hectare forest land, which is still pending.
In April 2012 the construction process of 45.43 metre long Wainganga bridge in Nagpur district was started and it was to be completed by April 2016, but its work is held up due to problem of land acquisition, and also the survey of the position and length of underpasses by NTC and WII (Wildlife Institute of India), which is still pending.
Delaying on the part of NHAI does not stop here. In January 2012, Nagpur-Betul road construction was started, and it is to be completed by September, 2015. The length of this road is 174.5 km, but the delay in completion is said to be problem of land acquisition. It is however claimed that the work is in progress.
Similarly, in November 2010, the work of HGT ROB on 4-lane Nagpur-Hyderabad block started, and this merely 1.15 km long ROB is to be completed by March 2016. Its work is also getting delayed due to non-receipt of recommendation for railway span from the Central Rly Nagpur.
In September 2011, ROB (0.7 km) on 2-lane of Nagpur-Hyderabad block was started and it was to be completed by March 2013. But the delay is attributed to still-waiting for detailed design and drawing from railways. Besides, the contractor company for this work had applied for closure of work before time, it is said.
In June 2006, Nagpur-Kondhali road (40.80 km) construction was started, which is to be completed by September 2015. The cause of delay in this project is said to be delay in land acquisition, as 5 span land is insufficient for fly-over at Kondhali village.
Such a delay on the part of NHAI indicates that the time-bound projects, like those to be completed by September 2015 or 2016 cannot be completed in time and the construction company contractor, Oriental Infra, is left to be free from accountability of construction in time. Looking at the plight of NHAI, one cannot hope that the proposed fly-over from NIT to Nelson Square (Pagalkhana Chowk) and 4-lane road from LIC Square to Automotive on Kamptee road will ever be completed in time.
Rajeev Ranjan Kushwaha (rajeev.nagpurtoday@gmail.com)
