Nagpur: The 1.2km stretch of Dabha Road connecting Hazaripahad and Vayusena Nagar to Amravati Road continues to remain in hazardous condition, raising serious safety concerns for commuters. Despite repeated reports highlighting the deteriorating state of the road after the heavy rains of 2024, authorities are yet to undertake permanent repairs.For many residents and workers who use the road every day, the journey has become increasingly risky, particularly after sunset. Daily wager Kishore Yadav, who uses the route regularly on a bicycle, said, “Because I travel here daily, I have developed a kind of muscle memory of where the large potholes are.” “But, sometimes I have to use mobile phone torch to see the road ahead,” he added with a smirk. Instead of reconstructing the damaged portion, public works department (PWD) had earlier carried out a temporary fix by dumping dry gravel along the stretch. Commuters say the stopgap measure has done little to improve driving conditions. Loose gravel combined with deep potholes has made the surface unstable.Adding to the danger is the complete absence of functional streetlights along a significant portion of the road. The route witnesses considerable traffic daily, particularly during school hours, as several educational institutions are located in Hazaripahad area.A visit by TOI revealed that streetlights exist only on the stretch leading from Dabha Square, towards the entrance of the Air Force Maintenance Command. Beyond this point, nearly 750-metre road stretch remains almost entirely dark. The only illumination comes from the brightly lit entrance gate of the IAF facility and a few lights further ahead, leaving the most damaged section of the road shrouded in darkness.Regular commuter Kunal Nikam said the situation becomes especially dangerous after dark. “Two-wheelers often swerve to avoid potholes, which can easily lead to collisions. With no proper lighting, drivers cannot see the damaged patches until they are right on top of them,” he said.Locals say they have repeatedly raised the issue with authorities, but a long-term solution is yet to be implemented. Last year, after torrential rains severely damaged the stretch, some residents even approached the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court seeking relief. The plea was filed as part of a public interest litigation (PIL) highlighting poor condition of several roads across the region.According to sources in the state’s urban development department, funds were provided to the NMC to construct a cement road on the stretch. “Apart from what the NMC will do, PWD will carry out repair work of the remaining roads within the next fortnight,” said an official. Additionally, the NMC will be responsible for setting up new streetlights, and repair any old ones, if required.
