Two jacks installed under Nagpur's Hedgewar flyover, raising safety concerns
Two jacks installed under a section of Nagpur's newly inaugurated Hedgewar flyover after alignment problems, prompting safety concerns and calls for an independent inquiry.
Safety concerns have arisen over the 8.9 km flyover built from Indora Chowk to Dighori Chowk in Nagpur after two jacks had to be installed beneath it due to alignment problems in some sections. Thousands of vehicles pass over the flyover every day, relying on just the two jacks placed in front of Panchpaoli police station.
It is reported that the surface layer under the flyover had also started coming off in some places, which was later repaired and covered up. Local residents say that after construction, some sections did not achieve the required alignment, which is why supports had to be added from below. However, the concerned agency has not yet released any complete technical information on the matter.
The flyover is considered crucial for daily traffic between Indora and Dighori, so the questions being raised about its structural strength cannot be taken lightly. People are demanding an independent inquiry into why the jacks had to be installed, how much weight the bridge can bear, and the technical condition of its construction.
Notably, at the inauguration ceremony for this flyover, held at Bhat Sabhagriha in Reshimbagh, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that the debt owed to the people of Nagpur, who gave the city the chance to become an international city, was being repaid through development. At the same event, he had announced that the flyover would be named the "Dr. Keshav Baliram Pant Hedgewar flyover". The flyover was inaugurated jointly by Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Fadnavis had also said on that occasion that the flyover, built on Gadkari's initiative, was not just a flyover but an aerial route and an excellent example of modern technology. According to him, the name given to the bridge was a true tribute to Dr. Hedgewar. Linking Nagpur's identity to figures such as Dr. Hedgewar, Raja Bakht Buland Shah and Raja Bhosale, he had said that giving this name in the centenary year of the Sangh reflected a spirit of dedication. He had also expressed gratitude on behalf of Nagpur residents to Gadkari for gifting the city this special flyover.
However, only some time after its inauguration, jacks have had to be installed under this very flyover, raising questions about its safety and prompting demands for a response from the administration.
