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Time of India
10-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Upgraded hotmix plant functional, yet tender floated to asphalt road
1 2 3 Nagpur: Even as the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) recently commissioned its hotmix plant at Hingna after a long-overdue upgrade, the public works department (PWD) floated a tender for Rs24.73 lakh to asphalt a road in Shanti Niketan Colony in the Laxmi Nagar zone. The move sparked criticism, as the internal tar road is in a poor condition and residents were demanding immediate repairs, which the plant was expected to handle efficiently. Just a few weeks ago, a committee led by officiating chief engineer Manoj Talewar certified the new counter flow drum mix plant as fully functional. A comprehensive inspection on May 5, conducted by a six-member committee including officials from mechanical and hotmix departments, found all components such as the thermodrum unit, bitumen storage tanks, cold feeder and control cabin systems aligned with technical specifications. During the trial, the plant produced a batch of bituminous mix (BM), which was found satisfactory. Only a minor issue of noise from the thermodrum's chain drive was noted and rectified with lubrication. Additionally, samples were tested and calibrated by a third-party lab, confirming the quality output of the plant. With civic complaints rising and citizens demanding better infrastructure, NMC's decision to outsource a road project even after certifying its plant as operational raised serious concerns about administrative efficiency and public accountability. However, Talewar defended the tender stating that "the plant has only recently become operational and is yet to run at full capacity." Ironically, the audit report signed by Talewar himself had confirmed the smooth functioning of the plant. The new plant, capable of producing 60-90 tonnes of asphalt per hour (up from the previous 30 tonnes), was projected to significantly reduce NMC's dependency on private contractors. Citing an example, an NMC official said that a 700-metre stretch at Manish Nagar was asphalted at a cost of Rs35 lakh by deploying services of the old hot-mix plant last year, while private firms would have quoted Rs1.5 crore for the same work. The 25-year-old unit was dismantled and the upgraded facility was completed ahead of its May deadline by installing a modern Light Diesel Oil (LDO)-based drum mix plant. It was seen as a major step toward achieving transparency, quality control, and cost-effectiveness in roadwork, especially considering that NMC spends over Rs95 crore annually on outsourcing road repairs, compared to Rs5 crore on in-house operations. A pre-monsoon survey by the hot mix department identified 497 potholes and 159 bad roads across the 10 zones, excluding roads managed by other agencies like the Nagpur Improvement Trust and the National Highways Authority of India. Subsequently, it sought details of bad roads from the zonal offices. None of the zones have so far submitted the lists of bad roads or potholes with locations, confirmed the official.
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Private firms defy ban on road digging, restoration delays add to citizens woes
Nagpur: Despite Nagpur Municipal Corporation's (NMC) blanket ban on road digging after June 1, private firms continue to flout orders with impunity, worsening the already fragile condition of city roads just as the monsoon sets in. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On Monday, TOI spotted workers from a private telecom company digging up the road near Katol Square — the same patch that was excavated last week for laying cables. The Mangalwari zone halted the work then, following a TOI report, but the firm resumed operations using heavy machinery in open defiance of municipal commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari's directive. Other areas where these works are openly being carried out include Narendra Nagar, Manish Nagar, and areas near a high-end hotel on Wardha Road, as well as many internal areas in South and South-West Nagpur. The ongoing violations also reflect poorly on NMC's public works department, headed by officiating chief engineer Manoj Talewar, which is struggling to enforce the civic chief's diktat. The ban was issued specifically to prevent disruption and ensure smooth vehicular movement during the monsoon. However, the lack of monitoring and repeated breaches exposes administrative gaps within the department responsible for implementation. Several roads across the city dug up for infrastructure works remain unrestored, compounding the woes of citizens. In the Hudkeshwar-Narsala area, the first heavy rainfall turned large portions of unfinished roads into slushy, hazardous zones. For the past 3-4 months, major sewerage pipeline work under the Rs 900 crore Amrut 2.0 Pora River Pollution Abatement Project has been underway, laying over 500 km of pipelines in South and South-West Nagpur. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Despite pipeline-laying being completed at many stretches, the roads have not been properly restored. Trenches were only partially filled with loose soil, which has since turned into slippery mud traps. Now, in a token attempt at repair, contractors have merely dumped gravel and crushed stones, making it difficult and unsafe for pedestrians and vehicles alike. Residents fear conditions will worsen with more rain. "The roads in our locality have become death traps. Repeated complaints to the PHE department and contractors have fallen on deaf ears," said Dhanraj Valukar, chairman of the local residents' committee. Satish Kasare and Mangesh Charde added that the continued neglect has caused multiple vehicle breakdowns and accidents, especially involving two-wheelers. Another hotspot is the road from Mate Chowk to RPTS Road, where fresh excavation has disrupted traffic flow. Loose soil has spilled over onto the road, creating a major accident risk. While the NMC sought technical guidance from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), which prescribed specific methods for restoring tar and concrete roads after utility work, these guidelines are being routinely ignored. Commissioner Chaudhari has issued an ultimatum to the public health engineering and public works departments, along with contractors, to ensure all dug-up roads are restored to their original condition. However, the continued violations suggest a serious lack of coordination, enforcement, and accountability.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
NMC Chalks Out Plan To Deal With Monsoon Fury
1 2 Nagpur: Aimed at responding swiftly and effectively to all emergencies arising during the upcoming rainy season, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), under the leadership of additional commissioner Vasumana Pant, has chalked out its monsoon disaster management plan. As part of the plan, Manoj Talewar, in-charge chief engineer, has been appointed as the planning head, while chief fire officer BS Chandankhede will serve as the operations head. Six key departments — including electricity, garden, public health engineering, solid waste, workshop, and encroachment removal — are included in the preparedness initiative. Core objective of the plan is to ensure prompt and effective action in the event of flooding, collapse of buildings, road blockages caused by fallen trees, and waterlogging. Multiple teams have been formed, comprising officers from NMC headquarters, executive engineers, zonal engineers, and other key personnel. All officials have been directed to remain on alert from June 1 to September 30. On September 23, 2023, a major flood had wreaked havoc in the city, leaving many areas along the Nag River and homes flooded following heavy rains. The incident sparked widespread criticism of the NMC. Hundreds of homes and properties, including vehicles, were damaged in the floods, causing loss of crores of rupees to the citizens. During last year's monsoon also, multiple homes in South and South-West Nagpur experienced flooding due to lack of proper rainwater drainage systems. These areas witnessed flooding three to four times during the season, raising concerns among the citizens. Apart from this, several other areas also reported flooding. With the rainy season about to begin this year, residents in these areas are once again living in fear of floods. They hope things will be different this year. Box: 24-Hour Control Room Activated A round-the-clock control room has been made operational at NMC headquarters. Citizens can register complaints on numbers 2567029, 2567777, and on emergency helpline 108 Two senior officials from the headquarters and zonal executive engineers have been assigned mandatory 10-day rotation duty as control room supervisors. In addition, 12 assistant engineers have also been deployed. NMC administration has emphasised readiness and coordination across departments to ensure citizen safety during the monsoon months. Box Four Response Teams & Designated Responsibilities Team 1: Fire and public works departments will act in case of urban flooding Team 2: Garden department will handle cases of fallen trees Team 3: Electricity department will address incidents involving broken/ collapsed poles and snapped wires Team 4: Solid waste, encroachment, hot-mix plant, and workshop departments will respond to building collapses Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
