Nagpur: The long-delayed Old Bhandara Road widening project remains stalled in litigation, with more than 200 affected properties under court-ordered stay, preventing the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) from completing land acquisition and demolition.The project envisages widening the existing 3-km stretch from 6 metres to 18 metres up to Bagdadi Chowk and 30 metres beyond. NMC has already demolished hundreds of structures and acquired land for most of the affected properties.A senior Town Planning Department official told TOI that pending litigation has prevented the civic body from taking possession of the remaining properties.The legal challenge comprises 12 Public Interest Litigations (PILs) covering more than 200 land acquisition cases filed by affected property owners. The petitions question the acquisition process, compensation under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, and the extent of land being acquired. Many petitioners have also secured interim relief against demolition, preventing the administration from taking possession.“The cases are pending before various courts, which have granted stay orders. Acquisition has been completed for most of the remaining properties, while a few proceedings are pending before the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO),” the official said.Despite the legal hurdles, NMC intensified demolition this year, clearing around 250 properties along the alignment, including nearly 80 acquired through direct purchase. Several govt-owned properties, including those belonging to the market department, have also been handed over to the civic body.Another demolition drive planned earlier this year was deferred after the SDO accepted assurances from several property owners that they would voluntarily dismantle their structures. Before the exercise could resume, the monsoon arrived. The SDO subsequently directed NMC not to undertake demolition related to the widening during the four-month monsoon period, pushing the project back further.Although proposed more than two decades ago, the project gathered momentum only after the Public Works Department (PWD) awarded the work order in Sept 2021.A contractor associated with the project said nearly 1 km of one carriageway between Mayo Hospital and Daga Square has been completed. The road has also been widened up to Mominpura Gate, while work is in progress on the Mominpura Gate-Hansapuri stretch. Beyond Hansapuri, however, work has virtually stopped as acquisition of the remaining properties is held up by pending litigation and court stays.The project affects 637 properties. Officials said work on the remaining stretch can accelerate only after the monsoon and once the pending cases are decided.Estimated to cost around Rs 70 crore, including civil and electrical works, the project will widen the Mayo Hospital-Sunil Hotel stretch to ease chronic traffic congestion and improve connectivity in east Nagpur.INFOBOXOLD BHANDARA ROAD WIDENING PROJECT Stretch: Mayo Hospital Square to Sunil Hotel T-point Length: 3 km (original proposal was 3.28 km) Existing width: 6 metres Proposed width: 18 metres up to Bagdadi Chowk; 30 metres thereafter Executing agency: Public Works Department (PWD) Land acquisition: Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) Estimated project cost: Around Rs 70 crore (excluding land acquisition) Total affected properties: 637 Properties demolished: Around 250 Properties acquired through direct purchase: About 80 Government-owned properties handed over: 56 Properties under litigation: Over 200 Pending litigation: 12 PILs comprising over 200 land acquisition cases Progress so far: Road widened from Mayo Hospital to Mominpura Gate; widening under way between Mominpura Gate and Hansapuri Major hurdles: Court stay orders, pending land acquisition proceedings and monsoon restriction on demolitionTIMELINE Jan 7, 2000: Old Bhandara Road widening project sanctioned to decongest one of east Nagpur’s busiest corridors. 2000-2020: Project remains virtually stalled due to lack of funds for land acquisition and delays in obtaining possession of roadside properties. September 2021: PWD awards the road widening work and begins execution in phases. 2024: District administration initiates land acquisition proceedings under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013. 2025: State government releases funds for land acquisition; final land acquisition award is declared in November, paving the way for demolition of acquired properties. February 2026: NMC launches a major demolition drive, razing over 200 acquired and government-owned properties to clear the alignment. July 2026: More than 200 properties remain under court stay through 12 PILs, while demolition of the balance structures has been deferred until after the monsoon.
