In August 2024, the bhoomipujan of two flyovers—one at Manewada Square and the other at Mhalgi Nagar square--was performed. The squares are surrounded by wide roads, and still these flyovers are being forced by the authorities, feel people. A ceremony was held to mark the commencement of construction of the two new flyovers on Inner Ring Road in South Nagpur. Each flyover will cost Rs 73 crore.

 

The World Bank Unit of Maharashtra’s Public Works Department will build these flyovers. The authorities cited the reasons for these flyover projects as these squares face frequent traffic jams and accidents. Nobody will argue with the authorities as far as frequent traffic jams and accidents are concerned. But people feel that the flyovers can’t be the answer to it. The roads connecting both these squares are wide enough. There is a high divider and no median kept midway except for the squares. Sans median, traffic can move with ease from both sides and horizontally too. There are traffic signals at every square.

 

There is no congestion at the square. But the absence of traffic police allows people to move as per their whims and fancies. Most vehicles don’t take pains to stop at the signal and keep moving from all four sides crossing the square simultaneously. Because of this chaotic and uncontrolled traffic, accidents take place on many occasions. Ironically, those who follow traffic rules meet with accidents. Tea vendors, some shop owners, and vegetable sellers in the area told ‘The Hitavada,’ “Vehicular movement has increased, but flyovers can’t be the solution for easing traffic. There should be proper traffic management. Traffic Police should be deployed at least during the busy traffic hours, and they should do their services vigilantly. Public too don’t abide by the traffic rules, which is a cause of concern.” There is one major difference at both these squares.

 

Manewada Square is too big. By the time a vehicle crosses the square and reaches the other side, the traffic signal turns yellow, and overlapping this movement, cross traffic from the other two sides starts, resulting in a jam. At many places, despite the construction of flyovers, people moving alongside and under these flyovers keep suffering from traffic. The vehicular movement near and/or under the flyovers at Sadar, Pardi, and Sakkardara Square, or at Wadi, are glaring examples that show the ill effect of building these flyovers on the vehicular movement and the overall traffic. People using Amravati road too have started sensing their expected sufferings in the future after the long bridge from RTO to University Campus chowk opens for traffic. In view of all these experiences, people feel that the Government should still reconsider the projects of constructing flyovers at Manewada Square and Mhalgi Nagar Square.

 

 

Parliamentarian Road Safety Committee was working on preparing people-friendly plans for squares throughout the country with a view to reducing accidents. In Nagpur, it had identified Shatabdi Square as a pilot project and prepared a plan. The same plan can be prepared for Manewada Square, which is also on the ring road, just two squares after Shatabdi Square. Like Shatabdi Square, Manewada Square too is big. Manewada Square is one of the many mismanaged and wrongly designed squares of Nagpur. As people become habitual of commuting through such squares, they have become used to this one too. Traffic from five directions (including one unauthorised direction from the petrol pump) reaches the square. These five directions are from Dighori, Narendra Nagar, Tukadoji Putala, Besa Square, and Petrol Pump. A huge space, almost more than 35 feet between any two sides, lie in the middle of the square, because of which fewer vehicles can cross the square and reach the other end during the time of the green signal. The turning radius too is bigger than the average. Long distance between two ends affects the movement of pedestrians too, as they get stuck in between two signals. It means that they cross only a part of the road when the other side gets a green signal and vehicles start moving, leading to accident-like situations. Senior citizens and divyangas obviously face more problems.