Nagpur – The Nagpur Bench of the High Court has pulled up the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) over the delay in the Fetri Road widening project and has granted a final extension on the strict condition of depositing ₹1 lakh. The court made it clear that while NHAI requested more time to complete the project, there was no substantial justification provided for the delay.
The matter was heard during the ongoing proceedings of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Arun Patil, highlighting the poor condition of several national highways. The court had earlier directed that the stretch from Katol Naka to Fetri be widened, as its narrow width posed daily challenges to commuters. Despite initial assurances, the work remains incomplete, prompting NHAI to seek more time.
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20 May 2025
Court Directs Deposit to Be Used for Library Development
In its latest order, the High Court stated that although no concrete reasons had been provided for the delay, the roadwork is evidently in public interest. Therefore, the court granted a final opportunity to NHAI, on the condition that it deposits ₹1 lakh within two weeks at the Government Counsel’s office. The amount will be utilized for library development.
Previously, on November 18, 2024, the court had directed NHAI to submit a detailed affidavit, clearly stating the timeframe for completing the widening of the Katol Naka to Fetri stretch of the Nagpur Ring Road. NHAI had then committed to completing the project by April 30, 2025, through a sworn affidavit submitted by the project director. However, to date, the work remains incomplete.
Delay Attributed to Tree-Cutting Permissions
NHAI has cited delays in obtaining tree-cutting permissions as the main reason for the hold-up. According to them, the authority took two months to apply for permission, while the Forest Department and the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) took an additional four months to grant approvals.
The High Court, however, remarked that NHAI should have brought the issue of delay in permissions to the court’s attention earlier, especially given the binding nature of the court’s timeline. This was not done in a timely manner.
Forest Department Has No Objection
During the previous hearing, a sworn affidavit was filed by Deputy Conservator of Forests, Prabhu Nath Shukla, on behalf of the Principal Secretary of Revenue and Forest Department. The affidavit stated that the Forest Department had no objection to the widening of the highway from New Katol Naka to Fetri and had assured full cooperation to NHAI.
The High Court has now made it clear that this is the last chance for NHAI to comply and that any further delays will not be tolerated.
