Nagpur: In a major step to end the practice of repeated road digging by multiple utility agencies, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is rolling out a Rs 125-crore Urban Street Network (USN) project. The initiative will not only integrate water, sewage, electricity, storm drains, and OFC lines into a single underground system but also give footpaths a complete facelift for citizens.
Under the project, footpaths will be developed as dedicated pedestrian spaces with benches, greenery, and diffused lighting to make them vibrant and user-friendly. NMC plans to ensure obstruction-free walkways where people can spend quality time amidst the fast-paced urban lifestyle.
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The first phase will cover North Ambazari Road, from Ambazari T-Point to Jhansi Rani Square. Later, adjoining stretches including Gandhi Nagar to VNIT Gate, Shankar Nagar to Ram Nagar, Bajaj Nagar Square, and Alankar Square to Kachipura will be developed in a similar pattern, informed Alpana Patne, Executive Engineer, Project-I, NMC.
Municipal Commissioner Dr. Abhijeet Chaudhari has directed that footpaths should be free of encroachments and equipped with modern amenities. Corners at major squares will be designed with aesthetic stonework, plants, and green cover to uplift the urban landscape.
As part of the underground integration, inspection chambers will be installed every 15–20 metres along the footpaths. These will allow easy repair and cable pulling, avoiding large-scale digging which often damages existing infrastructure and wastes funds. Each chamber will be colour-coded for different agencies to streamline maintenance.
For the first time, MSEDCL is being roped in to shift overhead electricity lines and transformer boxes into the system, reducing future hassles. NMC will soon appoint a Project Management Consultant (PMC) to conduct detailed surveys of identified stretches.
In the second phase, Civil Lines roads will be taken up, while Central Avenue, one of the busiest stretches of Nagpur, is also on the radar for later development.
With provisions for CCTV surveillance on footpaths, NMC hopes the project will ensure safety while transforming the city’s walkways into livelier, pedestrian-friendly zones.
