Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) Laxmi Nagar Zone acted swiftly to remove illegal fibre speed breakers from Laxmi Nagar, Gajanan Nagar, Sawarkar Nagar and other areas, after a contempt petition was filed in Nagpur bench of Bombay high court.
However, hundreds of such breakers still exist all over the city.Three of them are also planted in the HC premises itself by the public works department (PWD). Advocate Raghvendra Joshi had filed a second contempt plea last week, pointing out that the civic body was itself laying fibre made speed breakers, brazenly flouting HC directives.
Justice Vinay Deshpande had issued contempt notices to NMC commissioner Abhijit Bangar and assistant commissioner at Laxmi Nagar Zone Suvarna Dakhane.Subsequently, NMC officials removed some of the breakers, providing some respite for citizens at risk of health issues like spondylitis and other back related problems.
Quoting NMC executive engineer’s affidavit submitted in HC on June 6, 2011, the petitioner pointed out that around 677 speed-breakers located on various roads under its limits were removed by the civic body. It was also stated that works would be undertaken periodically to locate and remove speed-breakers within its limits, except in monsoon season.
Later, on December 13, 2013, corporation’s traffic department filed another affidavit in the same case, informing that most of the unauthorized speed breakers in various parts of the city had been removed. A solemn promise was made to the HC that NMC would promptly initiate steps to remove illegal speed breakers as and when they come up in various parts of the city.
Before disposing of the contempt plea, and dropping proceedings against NMC officials, justice Deshpande had clarified that the respondent should appoint a nodal officer to whom complaints can be made by citizens about unauthorized speed breakers, so that the undertaking given in HC can be complied with immediately.
It’s also expected that respondents should take take appropriate steps to conduct periodical inspections to find unauthorized illegal speed breakers and to illegal speed breakers and to remove the same,” he said.
Joshi pointed out that though NMC removed some speed breakers, it failed to cover the locations with tar, leaving uneven roads behind. He said NMC had assured HC to conduct periodical inspections to find out unauthorized and illegal speed breakers and remove them, but did nothing, which led to mushrooming of fibre speed breakers in many lanes and bylanes.
“Even institutions like PWD should follow HC orders, but it has laid such breakers inside the HC premises too, which is a headache for lawyers driving to and from the parking area,” he said.
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