Nagpur News : The Narendra Nagar Railway Underpass (RuB) on the Inner Ring Road — a long-standing waterlogging trouble spot that has plagued commuters for over a decade — is finally slated for a major engineering overhaul.
The Public Works Department (PWD) is preparing a Rs9 crore flood-control revamp. However, the project is hitting a familiar roadblock: the traffic department has yet to approve the temporary diversions necessary to kick off construction.
According to a media report, water still accumulates on the same slippery section of the underpass even without rainfall, creating risky conditions for two-wheelers. Locals say minor skidding accidents have become frequent. ‘We’ve been living with this hazard for years. Any more delays will only make it worse,’ said a commuter from Narendra Nagar.
To tackle flooding permanently, the state PWD wrote to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Lohit Matani on Nov 12, requesting permission for a temporary road closure and one-way regulated traffic. Nearly 10 days have passed since the submission, but approval is still pending.
Officials insist the diversion is unavoidable. The new concrete drain will run along the center of the road, requiring excavation across the carriageway. After the issue was raised with the DCP Traffic office, a team from the Ajni Traffic Zone visited the underpass on Sunday to assess the stretch earmarked for work. A traffic officer said the team is reviewing the time required for construction and the feasibility of alternate routes. “Once we complete the assessment, a decision on granting permission for the diversion will be taken,” the officer added.
Located along SH-340, the Narendra Nagar underpass becomes impassable even during moderate rainfall, forcing commuters to wade through knee-deep water as traffic piles up on both ends, sometimes for hours. Previous interventions — routine pumping and minor repairs by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) — have failed to fix the underlying drainage issues.
“The present pumps are grossly inadequate during peak monsoon. This new system is designed to clear stormwater quickly and prevent any stagnation,” said an official from the special project division.
The project is expected to be completed by March 2026, after which it will be handed over to the NMC for maintenance following a defect liability period. Officials note that if traffic clearance is granted immediately, excavation and major civil work could start within weeks.
Residents are cautiously optimistic. “We’ve seen patchwork repairs, temporary pumps, and makeshift sandbags for years. Nothing worked. If this plan is implemented properly, the underpass will finally stop being a monsoon disaster zone,” said a shopkeeper near the RUB.
The Narendra Nagar underpass is one of the city’s worst waterlogging points, used daily by thousands of commuters from Ajni, Manish Nagar, Besa, and beyond. Its recurring submersion has exposed planning gaps, delayed action, and poor inter-department coordination.
As the PWD waits for traffic approval, residents stress that time is running out. Accidents continue, the slippery surface remains a daily hazard, and the monsoon of 2026 is just a year away. A swift decision by the traffic police could finally transform Narendra Nagar’s underpass — turning a perennial choke point into a safe, flood-free corridor for the city.
