Skid & Bleed: Blame Cement Road & I-Block Gap
2
Nagpur: On Wednesday morning, a series of accidents on Ambazari Road again exposed a road design flaw that has worryingly become common across Nagpur: Uneven surface level of the main concrete road and adjoining interlocking (I) block patches.
In a chilling video that has gone viral, residents can be seen pointing to the spot where five people — including an elderly man and woman — fell due to a deep gap and dangerous surface level difference. Locals even placed stones to prevent further mishaps. "This road is a trap. We've had enough," said a bystander, as a crowd gathered.
As the video went viral, the state Public Works Department (PWD) hurriedly started repairing the road patch on Thursday afternoon.
Workers were seen removing the I-blocks alongside the defective road and realigning it with the road height.
This particular stretch was constructed by the PWD. Alarmingly, though, this road design flaw isn't a folly limited to only one agency.
Similar conditions prevail across major stretches including Pratap Nagar, East High Court Road, Khamla, the Inner Ring Road, and Residency Road, owned by several agencies like Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT), Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), putting thousands of daily commuters at risk.
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Two-wheeler riders are the worst affected, with tyres getting caught in gaping voids that remain hidden during rains.
Tragically, it's a disaster fuelled by negligence, not ignorance.
Over Rs 2,000 crore was spent by the NMC and other road-owning agencies to convert tar roads into cement concrete — touted as a durable, low-maintenance solution. But the problem lies in the poorly maintained I-block stretches constructed alongside cement roads, for future utility installations.
Many of these patches have either sunk or developed wide gaps, creating an unending series of fall zones.
To avoid bumpy rides over these sections, most two-wheeler riders stick to the smoother cement road. But when heavy vehicles approach from behind or the opposite direction, they are forced to veer left, often losing balance while transitioning onto the sunken I-blocks, resulting in crashes and injuries.
In July 2024, the Bombay high court's Nagpur bench, comprising Justices Nitin Sambre and Abhay Mantri, slammed the poor quality and alignment of many roads.
The bench observed that even freshly laid cement roads were riddled with drainage issues, waterlogging, and poor design. The judges ordered the formation of an expert committee to address the problem, but ground realities remain unchanged.
Following the court's strong remarks, NMC chief engineer Leena Upadhey assured that surveys would be conducted and followed by repairs. "We are identifying accident-prone areas caused by uneven I-blocks," she said.
A year later, the promises remain unfulfilled. A senior traffic cop also admitted that the uneven transition between cement concrete surfaces and adjoining interlocking (I) blocks are causing accidents, and they would be approaching the NMC's traffic department and other road-owning agencies to correct the problem.
Team TOI found major faults in areas like Ram Nagar, Great Nag Road, VIP Road, and North Ambazari Road, where multiple riders have been injured.
"We've complained, sent videos, but nothing changes. Do they need someone to die before they act?" asked Ramesh Rangari, a resident of Imamwada.
Experts from VNIT have urged the NMC to implement a Pavement Management System, a scientific approach to ensure surface level uniformity. Prof Vishrut Landge of VNIT's Civil Engineering Department said, "It's not just poor planning — it's administrative apathy. These roads are not fit for public use."
He added that uneven surface levels are causing the accidents. "This can be repaired. The engineers have to pay attention while executing the work. More than 15mm of level difference causes such accidents if the vehicle speed is more than 25kmph. There must be a road safety audit of all roads to identify such faults."
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