Nagpur: Patients heading to hospitals, visitors rushing for medicines and hundreds of commuters are bearing the brunt of Dhantoli’s traffic gridlock as prolonged road concretisation works and a fresh sewage mess compound the chaos.The situation is particularly severe around Balraj Marg, Lokmat Square and adjoining lanes, where ongoing concretisation has narrowed already congested roads. According to residents, the problem worsened after an NMC contractor dug up another stretch of Balraj Marg to fix a sewage issue, forcing vehicles into narrow lanes.“For months now, visiting a hospital or pharmacy in Dhantoli has become a nightmare. Every now and then, one lane or another gets closed. Cranes either remain parked or operate on the road during peak hours, adding to the chaos. The Panchsheel Square to Lokmat Square road is also under construction and has been narrowed further,” said Sudhesh Dhone, a regular visitor.Though part of the dug-up stretch has been temporarily restored, the sewage problem has exposed a civic lapse. NMC officials found that a sewage line laid using District Planning and Development Committee (DPDC) funds had not been properly connected to a chamber. The line was also found crossing a drinking water pipeline, raising concerns over possible contamination.Sources said the sewage problem surfaced after a resident complained of overflow from a chamber outside his house. “During the inspection, it came to light that the sewage line was crossing the drinking water pipeline, further complicating the issue. We have asked the contractor to rectify it and most of the work has already been completed. The remaining repair should be done within a day or two,” a senior NMC official said.The civic agency had planned to complete the concretisation before the monsoon, but the deadline has slipped considerably. The work is now expected to take at least another two months. A senior NMC official said around 130 metres of the road remains to be concretised. The stormwater drainage system has already been laid, and the remaining work will be completed in phases.With work continuing on both Balraj Marg and the Panchsheel Square-Lokmat Square stretch, residents fear the disruption will persist, further choking access to one of the city’s busiest medical hubs.
