Nagpur: While the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) assured Nagpur bench of Bombay high court that contractors have been directed to secure excavated stretches and provide safe pedestrian passages, the ground reality at the busy Gokulpeth market tells a starkly different story.Large portions of Gokulpeth market road remained dug up on Saturday, forcing residents, traders and shoppers to negotiate deep trenches, loose gravel and slippery patches. Rainwater had accumulated inside several excavated portions, while construction debris and broken road material were scattered across the stretch.Though a few traffic cones, plastic tapes and barricades had been placed at certain points, most sections remained inadequately protected. At one location, a fallen red barricade was lying in a water-filled trench with stones placed over it. No continuous pedestrian passage was available along the road, as people walked over loose stones or squeezed through narrow spaces outside shops.“Walking through this stretch has become extremely difficult, especially for senior citizens and children. The mud, stagnant water and open trenches make even a routine visit to the market risky,” Manish, a local resident, said.The promise of safe pedestrian passage drowned in water-filled trenches despite specific assurances recorded in an additional affidavit filed by NMC before HC on July 31 in Public Interest Litigation of 2025.Under point 12 of the affidavit, NMC stated that a meeting of all contractors involved in ongoing infrastructure and road works was held on July 30. According to the civic body, contractors were directed to provide adequate barricading, caution boards, reflective signage, warning lights during night hours and safe pedestrian passages.Following TOI’s enquiry regarding Gokulpeth market stretch, Rajkumar Meshram, assistant commissioner of NMC’s Dharampeth Zone, said immediate action would be initiated. “I will direct the zonal executive engineer to immediately visit the spot and ensure that it is cleaned up, while also taking strict action against the contractor,” Meshram told TOI.The assurance offers some relief, but the state of the road raises questions over whether directions issued to contractors are being monitored at the ground level.
