Pachpaoli chokes for hours as crane work for flyover crawls

Nagpur: Pachpaoli witnessed a major traffic snarl on Sunday after a 700-tonne crane blocked a narrow stretch near the railway crossing, leaving commuters stranded for hours. The chaos triggered fresh outrage with local residents and motorists blaming safety and planning lapses in the ongoing Rs998-crore Indora-Dighori flyover project.Sunday's gridlock added to the growing list of complaints from residents who say the execution of the project, being implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), has led to repeated traffic disruptions. According to a senior official from the contractor's firm, the crane was deployed for critical work over the railway crossings late on Saturday night to avoid disruption to the Eid celebrations. "The installation and removal process each takes nearly four hours due to heavy counterweights. We hoped that there would be less traffic on Sunday morning. Since the crane was installed late, the removal process too was delayed, which led to the traffic jam. The crane was removed by 12 noon, after which the issue was resolved," said the official.The official maintained that the road would need to be close down multiple times in the coming days before the work could be finished by June. The incident also sparked protests by a political group, with locals accusing authorities of poor coordination and disregard for public inconvenience. Many questioned why such large-scale operations were undertaken without adequate traffic diversion plans or prior public notice. Just days earlier, during post-Holi operations, heavy counterweights were seen suspended mid-air without barricading or cordoning of the area. Pedestrians were forced to walk directly beneath the load, raising the risk of a catastrophic accident. The Indora–Dighori corridor project, which includes two major flyovers — one from Kamal Chowk to Reshimbagh Square and another from Bhande Plot to Dighori. The project is aimed at easing traffic congestion in east Nagpur and improving connectivity between several densely populated areas.With repeated traffic chaos and inadequate safeguards, local residents are raising questions about oversight and accountability.