Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) plans to build dedicated underground utility corridors beneath footpaths along newly reconstructed roads to eliminate repeated road digging for cables and pipelines.The proposal, initiated by municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar, will be implemented first along around 38km of roads in the south-west Assembly constituency under the Rs254.99-crore road restoration project. If successful, the model will be extended to projects in other assembly constituencies.According to civic officials, utility ducts will be constructed beneath footpaths on both sides of the roads to house water pipelines, electricity cables, optical fibre networks and telecom infrastructure. The design also provides space for future household piped natural gas (PNG) pipelines.The corridors will enable utility agencies to access underground services through designated chambers instead of excavating roads for repairs or new connections.Frequent road cutting by utility agencies has long plagued Nagpur, with newly resurfaced roads often dug up within months to lay water pipelines, electricity lines, internet cables and sewer connections. Besides damaging road surfaces, repeated excavation increases maintenance costs and disrupts traffic.The proposal is also part of Itankar’s plan to create a GIS-based digital map of the city’s underground infrastructure, enabling civic departments to locate utilities accurately and coordinate excavation works more efficiently.The road design includes parallel stormwater drains and rainwater harvesting recharge pits linked to 300mm borewells. Runoff will pass through filtration media before entering the recharge wells to replenish groundwater.Officials said the integrated design is expected to curb future road restoration costs, improve coordination among utility agencies and extend the lifespan of roads. If the pilot succeeds, NMC will replicate the model across the city in phases.WHAT’S NEW IN THE PLAN?Dedicated utility ducts under footpathsProvision for future house-to-house gas pipelinesSpace for water, power and telecom linesParallel stormwater drainsRainwater recharge pits linked to 300-mm borewellsThird-party quality audit and lab testing provisions
