CITIZENS can breathe a sigh of relief as the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) has agreed to open its 1.2 km road temporarily, allowing access exclusively for two-wheelers through its campus.This decision comes after weeks of legal battles and community outcry over restricted access due to ongoing construction near the Ambazari dam. Initiated by Divisional Commissioner Vijaylaxmi Bidari, Commissioner of Police Dr Ravinder Singal convened a meeting with VNIT officials on Friday. During the session, Dr Singal conveyed the public’s challenges caused by the construction work in the vicinity of the Ambazari dam. VNIT officials have now permitted vehicular traffic restricted to two-wheelers on this road.

 

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Traffic Shashikant Satav informed ‘The Hitavada’ that despite VNIT’s approval, it will take a minimum of three days to fully operationalise the road. The process involves demolishing a portion of VNIT’s compound wall near Indian Oil petrol pump (Ambazari police chowki) to facilitate vehicle entry. The stretch from this point to Gate No 3 near LAD College will exclusively accommodate two-wheelers, with fourwheelers prohibited, as clarified by DCP Satav. Informing about the safety of student and staff, DCP Satav assured proactive traffic management measures.

 

“At each junction, traffic police will deploy barricades and plastic cones,” he stated. He also noted that traffic movement may be briefly halted during student movements to ensure safety. It may be mentioned that Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Abhay Mantri at the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday’s hearing took strong stance and compelled the State Government and district administration to utilise their discretionary powers to address the access issue at VNIT. Earlier, VNIT’s Associate Dean, Mangesh Madurwar, highlighted during court proceedings that the institute’s internal roads are ill-suited for heavy traffic. Sources disclosed that despite prior meetings,VNIT officials were initially hesitant to open the road, but the High Court’s intervention spurred them to comply