Nagpur: In a proactive step to address the city’s deteriorating road infrastructure post-monsoon and ahead of the upcoming festive season, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has greenlit a massive Rs 14.46 crore road resurfacing plan covering 260 roads across 10 zones, spanning over 120 kilometres.
What sets this initiative apart is NMC’s decision to carry out the works in-house using its upgraded hotmix plants, reducing reliance on private contractors and aiming for faster, more cost-effective execution.
Gold Rate
26 July 2025
The civic body has classified the roads into three categories based on the extent of wear and tear:
• 135 roads with over 50% deterioration have been placed under Top Priority (approx. 59.9 km, Rs 7.17 crore).
• 87 roads fall under Second Priority (38.3 km, Rs 3.83 crore).
• 38 roads have been labelled Third Priority (22.5 km, Rs 3.46 crore).
The roadmap was finalised in a Public Works Department review meeting on Monday, chaired by Municipal Commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari. Key engineering officials, including Chief Engineer Manoj Talewar and executive engineers from all 10 zones, attended the meeting.
According to the data presented:
• Dhantoli Zone leads with 40 roads, including 18 under top priority.
• Mangalwari Zone follows closely with 37 roads, 26 of which are in the most critical category.
• Laxmi Nagar and Hanuman Nagar zones will see repairs on 32 roads each, while Ashi Nagar has 38.
• Dharampeth, often regarded as one of the better-maintained areas, has just five roads, all under the top priority bracket.
• Nehru Nagar Zone has a notable 23 top priority roads, out of a total of 34 scheduled for resurfacing.
Lakadganj, Satranjipura, and Gandhibagh zones also feature in the list, though with comparatively fewer roads.
Civic officials said the roads were chosen based on on-ground surveys, focusing on routes that posed safety hazards due to potholes, waterlogging, or uneven surfaces. Chaudhari has directed zonal officials to closely monitor execution, ensure proper slope and drainage planning, and avoid previous mistakes where resurfaced roads failed within months.
“With improved hotmix infrastructure now at our disposal, we expect better road durability this time,” said a senior engineer from the Public Works Department.
While citizens and civic activists have welcomed the announcement, many have urged the NMC to follow through with quality assurance, pointing to past instances where roads crumbled soon after being resurfaced.
“Planning is good, but the NMC must enforce strict supervision. Otherwise, we’ll be back to square one after the next monsoon,” said a resident of Dhantoli.
The timing of the repair spree, just ahead of festive traffic and with elections on the horizon, has not gone unnoticed. While officials deny any political motivation, the urgency with which the plan is being rolled out signals a clear intention to respond to mounting public discontent over civic neglect.
As Nagpur’s roads prepare for a much-needed makeover, all eyes are now on how efficiently and transparently the civic body can translate its blueprint into blacktop reality.
