Cracks appear on new concrete road panels in Nashik; contractor fined, told to rebuild stretch

Nashik: The civic body has ordered the demolition and reconstruction of a portion of the concrete road under construction near Ved Mandir, at Bosch Circle on Trimbak Road, after cracks exceeding permissible limits were detected during an inspection.

The civic body has also imposed a penalty of Rs 1.8 lakh per day on the contractor for quality lapses.Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) commissioner Manisha Khatri, who inspected the site on Wednesday, found cracks in newly laid concrete panels that were beyond prescribed standards and directed officials to re-lay the affected stretch at the contractor’s expense.“The municipal corporation has a zero-tolerance approach towards substandard development works.

Any deficiency in quality will invite strict action as per the rules. Ensuring proper utilisation of taxpayers’ money is our responsibility,” Khatri said.Officials said the stretch will be reconstructed to ensure it meets engineering specifications and durability standards before being opened to the public. Khatri also instructed engineers to strengthen supervision of ongoing works and ensure strict compliance with quality norms at every stage of execution.

The road is part of a larger infrastructure upgrade being undertaken ahead of the 2027 Simhastha Kumbh Mela. Currently, work is underway on 28 major roads across Nashik, covering nearly 150 km at an estimated cost of Rs 1,270 crore. The projects have been awarded to 18 contractors and are scheduled for completion by March 2027.The action comes amid the NMC’s broader crackdown on delays and quality issues in Kumbh-related projects.

Earlier, the civic administration initiated action against 12 contractors after inspections revealed poor-quality work and slow progress at multiple sites.According to officials, nine contractors were fined Rs 10,000 per day each for delays, while two were penalised Rs 50,000 per day each. Another contractor was fined Rs 91,000 per day for quality-related shortcomings.The civic body has also engaged third-party agencies to monitor project quality.