Nagpur: With festive shopping picking up, major roads across the city are witnessing severe traffic congestion, with vehicles crawling during evening hours.Poor traffic management and encroachments on roads and footpaths are emerging as major contributors to the chaos. Despite Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) claiming daily anti-encroachment drives, the ground reality remains unchanged, with vendors returning to cleared spots within hours of action.The growing menace is also taking a toll on businesses. Shoppers are increasingly reluctant to visit crowded markets, affecting retailers already struggling to compete with the growing trend of online shopping. Encroachments have further squeezed available road space, making access to shops difficult for both customers and traders.On Wednesday, NMC enforcement department official Sanjay Kamble issued a statement claiming that two squads conducted an all-day drive in Sitabuldi. The operation covered Sitabuldi Main Road, Variety Square and the area around NMC’s multi-level parking plaza before returning to the main road. The department claimed the area had been cleared of encroachments. However, by evening, vendors returned to the same locations.Mahal presented a similar picture. The civic body also reported action at Medical Square and in Hanuman Nagar, claiming that a truckload of goods had been seized. Yet, traffic congestion caused by encroachments remained evident in the evening.Dharampeth and Gokulpeth markets are among the worst-affected areas, where encroachments have made navigating roads increasingly difficult.
