Tar stretch on Manewada Sq-Besa Sq road crumbling due to lack of upkeep

Nagpur: It is just about 100 metres stretch of the 2.5km road from Manewada Chowk to Besa Chowk, but it is giving severe jolts to commuters, especially two-wheeler riders. While the entire road is being concretized, this particular stretch near the Besa Ghat is still a tar surface that is riddled with big potholes formed due to wear and tear, and poor maintenance.

Monsoon has compounded the problems of commuters as the water-filled potholes are difficult to spot, making the stretch a nightmare to navigate during rains. Residents and daily users say the road has turned dangerous. "There's no continuity in work," said Krishna Nair, a local resident adding, "While the concretization of the road from Manewada Chowk is almost done, but the tar surface near the Besa Chowk is crumbling. It looks like that part of the road was just forgotten."

Residents said despite repeated complaints to civic authorities, no action has been taken to repair the stretch. The road not only causes major traffic slowdowns but also increases the risk of accidents, particularly at night when visibility is poor and there are no caution signs or reflectors to alert motorists, they said.

Tushar Bawne, a teenager who recently bought a new motorcycle, shares his disappointment while riding on the road. "Every day I take this stretch but I fear the shock absorbers will be damaged beyond repair soon. It's very frustrating to see such civic neglect."

Adding to the problem is the absence of warning signage or barricades. Commuters are often forced to swerve abruptly to avoid large craters, leading to frequent near-misses and chaotic traffic during rush hours.

Locals fear the condition of the road will deteriorate further if immediate repairs are not initiated, especially with heavy rains forecast for the coming weeks.

However, the Public Works Department (PWD) is yet to issue a timeline for completing the roadwork or even address the damage, said residents who are now demanding end-to-end concretization of the road.

A former officer from the Ajni Traffic Division, told The Times of India on the condition of anonymity that multiple letters were sent to road agencies urging them to expedite repair work. "We have flagged this stretch several times due to increasing traffic snarls and safety risks, but there's been no significant progress so far," he said.