NMC, PWD, MahaMetro disown Hingna Rd accident-prone spot

Nagpur: The stretch of Hingna Road from Ambazari Lake Y-point to Hingna T-point has turned into a no man’s land, making it an accident prone spot with bad patches and potholes below and near Subhash Nagar Metro Rail Station. In this month itself, one person has died and many sustained injuries in mishaps due to the potholes and bad surface layer on the patch.
Passers-by and a couple of security guards stationed nearby said an autorickshaw toppled over below Metro Rail station at around 1.30am on Saturday. Three youths sustained serious injuries. One was thrown on to the road while two got struck inside. Two of them were seriously injured in the mishap and taken to Government Medical College and Hospital after lying on the footpath for over 1.5 hours.
Rana Pratap Nagar police said a 49-year-old motorcyclist died after an unidentified four-wheeler hit his two-wheeler on this stretch on the night on January 3.
West Nagpur MLA Vikas Thakre told TOI, “Eight accidents have happened in last eight days below the Metro station. The entire patch used to be under water during the monsoon due to lack of storm water drain on the road and below the station. The road is severely damaged below and after the station. Still, MahaMetro is doing nothing. I informed MahaMetro MD Brijesh Dixit many times, and requested him to repair the road. But he did not pay heed. MahaMetro is responsible for the death and injuries to citizens.”
A MahaMetro spokesperson did not give a statement despite TOI calling and sending messages. Earlier, MahaMetro had said the road was handed over to the concerned authority after work on Metro station was completed.
An official from Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) said the road falls in the jurisdiction of state’s public works department (PWD). “We had written to all government agencies, including PWD and MahaMetro, to ensure repairs of roads in their jurisdiction before and after monsoon. After receiving complaints about mishaps, we repaired some potholes below the station in October,” he said.
An engineer from PWD said the road comes under NMC. “Road from Rani Jhansi Square to Ambazari Lake Overflow point is under PWD, and concretized. Inner Ring Road from Hingna T-point is also under PWD and converted into cement concrete. This stretch from overflow point to Hingna T-point is under NMC,” he said.
Gopal Nagar resident Subhash Panchbudhe said an offence should be registered against officials of MahaMetro, PWD and NMC for deaths and accidents on this stretch. “MahaMetro does not have proper rainwater drainage system, and this left entire road under water in the rains, causing severe damage to the surface layer and also formed potholes. Watering plants between Metro pillar and road-divider is also damaging the road. There is no street light below the station. Police should take action so that one of the government agencies comes forward and accept responsibility,” he said.
During monsoon and even now, some vehicles come down the wrong side to avoid the bad patches below the station. A huge quantum of gravel has accumulated at the bad patch, adding to the problems.