Nagpur's VIP Road Faces Dangerous Narrowing Due to Streetlight Installation
Nagpur's VIP Road, also known as East High Court Road, has become a critical safety concern for residents and commuters in West and South West Nagpur. This vital arterial corridor is experiencing dangerous narrowing due to what appears to be ill-planned streetlight installation by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation's electrical department.
Concrete Platforms Encroach on Traffic Lanes
At multiple locations along this important route, newly erected streetlight poles sit on oversized concrete platforms that extend beyond road dividers and jut directly into the carriageway. This unexpected intrusion forces vehicles to change lanes abruptly, creating sudden bottlenecks that compromise traffic flow and safety.
The situation is particularly concerning in the busy Ramdaspeth area, where these installations have transformed already congested junctions into potential accident zones. Despite the original plan to install poles within existing road dividers, the execution has resulted in platforms extending beyond divider lines and encroaching into live traffic lanes.
Additional Hazards Compound the Problem
A thorough site visit revealed multiple additional hazards that further reduce usable road width. Temporary tin barricades, broken paver blocks, and waterlogged excavations around pole bases create additional obstacles for commuters. These conditions make two-wheeler riders and pedestrians especially vulnerable, with motorists often forced to swerve at the last moment to avoid protruding foundations.
The problem reaches critical levels along the stretch between Alankar Talkies square and Kachipura square, a rapidly commercializing zone experiencing increased traffic pressure. Multiple shopping and office complexes in this area operate without adequate parking facilities, causing visitors' vehicles to spill onto the road and further shrink the effective carriageway.
Commuters Voice Serious Safety Concerns
Daily commuters express frustration with what they describe as a violation of basic traffic-engineering principles. "On a road already under tremendous pressure, allowing pole bases to project into the carriageway is essentially inviting accidents," said a regular commuter from South West Nagpur. Several near-miss incidents have been reported during peak hours, though no formal traffic safety audit has been conducted to assess the full impact.
Project Delays and Coordination Issues
Adding to the mounting concerns is the project's slow pace of execution. The streetlight installation began well before recent civic elections, yet large sections remain incomplete months later. Barricades continue to block traffic long after excavation work, with no clear timelines provided for road restoration.
Traffic personnel stationed along VIP Road have privately acknowledged that the altered road geometry has complicated junction management. Despite repeated complaints from residents and commuters, the NMC electrical department has not provided clarification about why pole foundations were permitted to extend beyond dividers on such a vital transportation route.
Growing Questions About Civic Coordination
With traffic volumes steadily increasing in West and South West Nagpur, residents are raising fundamental questions about inter-departmental coordination within municipal authorities. The central concern revolves around whether basic coordination between civic departments exists, or whether road safety is being compromised by poor planning and execution.
As traffic conditions transition from congested to hazardous along this critical corridor, the community awaits answers and solutions. Executive engineer (electrical) Rajendra Rathore was not available for comment when approached regarding these pressing safety issues.
