Nagpur: Five persons travelling in a four-wheeler (MH49AE0204) had a miraculous escape after their vehicle crashed into a massive pit dug up on a busy road in Shrikrishna Nagar around 3am on Monday. The accident occurred as relatives of Jitendra Khandelwal were returning to Nagpur from Pachmarhi. “Thanks to the timely deployment of airbags, all passengers survived without major injuries,” said Nandanwan police.According to locals, the vehicle was moving at a moderate speed when it suddenly plunged into the unbarricaded pit in the middle of the road. Locals said there were no warning signs, barricades, or illumination at the excavation site, even though the road was open to regular vehicular movement. The incident has sparked serious concern about the blatant violation of safety norms. Despite clear instructions from municipal commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari to avoid any road excavation without prior permission and mandatory safety precautions, Vinod Madawi, the contractor, allegedly undertook the sewer line work recklessly in the night, ignoring all guidelines.Former corporator of the area, Jitendra Kukde, confirmed that the excavation is part of an official NMC sewerage project assigned to Madawi by the Nehru Nagar zone office. He criticised the contractor for risking public safety by failing to take even basic safety measures. “The contractor completely ignored public safety. If not for the airbags, this could have been a fatal accident,” Kukde said. Kukde further pointed out that this was not the first mishap on the particular stretch. “Digging of roads continues unchecked in this area, and scores of accidents have occurred here. Fortunately, no fatality has taken place yet,” he said. Local residents have expressed outrage at the negligence shown by both the contractor and the civic administration. Many of them claimed that similar unsafe practices are widespread in other parts of the city, especially where sewer and drainage works are being carried out. The lack of on-site supervision and failure to enforce safety protocols have made several roads accident-prone. Citizens have demanded strict action be taken against the contractor and that NMC strengthen its monitoring of public works. This latest incident underscores the urgent need for civic authorities to ensure that safety is not compromised in the name of development. Senior Police Inspector from Nandanwan police station Vinayak Koli told TOI that there are no streetlights on the road, which made it difficult for the car driver to spot the dug-up road ahead. He confirmed that no offences were registered and neither was a report filed as both parties reached a settlement.
