Nagpur Road Restored by MRIDC Caves In Again, Sparks Commuter Outrage

Nagpur: Barely 24 hours after the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC) repaired a damaged stretch on the Kadbi Chowk-Golibar Chowk road, the surface caved in again, triggering outrage among commuters.The damaged stretch lies beneath the under-construction 2.82km railway overbridge (ROB), a ₹146-crore project launched in July 2021.According to locals, the road was patched on Saturday night but developed deep depressions by Sunday morning. They accused the agency of poor-quality work that has turned the busy corridor into a “death trap”.A resident who filmed the stretch claimed a two-wheeler rider fell after losing balance on the freshly repaired surface.

He alleged the contractor failed to compact the excavated portion adequately before laying asphalt, causing it to sink within hours.“It is impossible to ride safely. Anyone, especially women and the elderly, can lose balance. This happened without rain. Imagine what will happen during heavy showers,” the resident said.Rejecting allegations of poor workmanship, an MRIDC official said the repair was only a temporary measure to keep traffic moving during the monsoon.

He claimed the surface was damaged overnight after unidentified persons allegedly dug through the road to lay a sewer pipeline beneath it illegally.The official said the damaged portion would be repaired again within two to three days, while permanent restoration would be taken up after utility shifting and cable-crossing works are completed. According to MRIDC, the concrete road near Bhola School is complete, while the remaining stretch will be upgraded after the underground utility works are finished.

The agency aims to complete the Kadbi Chowk-Santra Market section by December and the entire ROB by March 2027.Residents, however, remained unconvinced and demanded an independent quality audit.Local corporator Wasim Khan said the stretch between Kadbi Chowk and Garib Nawaz Chowk in Mominpura has remained hazardous because of the ROB construction. Khan said MRIDC officials have assured him that cement concrete road work on the stretch will begin soon.