Nagpur’s ₹ 998-crore flyover sparks row after clashing with balcony

The unusual construction, which went viral on social media through videos and photos, shows a massive viaduct running almost alongside a balcony at Ashok Circle on Great Nag Road

NAGPUR: The ambitious ₹998-crore Indora-Dighori flyover in the city has landed the civic authorities in an embarrassing spot after a section of the structure came up flush against a family’s balcony, triggering a sharp debate on urban planning, encroachment and infrastructure supervision.

Nagpur’s ₹ 998-crore flyover sparks row after clashing with balcony

The unusual construction, which went viral on social media through videos and photos, shows a massive viaduct running almost alongside a balcony at Ashok Circle on Great Nag Road. To viewers, it appears as if the colossal flyover has barged into someone’s living room. The incident has prompted the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to issue notices and initiate a probe into the legality of the house in question.

The 8.9-km Indora Chowk-Dighori Chowk elevated corridor on NH-353D, executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), is among Nagpur’s most ambitious projects, designed to ensure smooth connectivity between Kamal Chowk, Reshimbag Square and Dighori. At Ashok Circle in South Nagpur, where five arterial roads converge, a massive rotary is being built to facilitate seamless traffic flow.

However, the flyover’s proximity to the Patre family’s balcony has triggered a blame-shifting game between NHAI and NMC. NHAI maintains that the structure is “strictly as per approved designs”, pointing out a 1.5-metre gap between the flyover beam and the balcony. It has claimed that the balcony is an unauthorised extension that falls under the encroachment category and had already been flagged to NMC for removal last year.

NMC officials, meanwhile, have branded the house itself as illegal, stating that it was constructed without a sanctioned plan on Nazul land (leased government land) that falls within a slum zone. “The authorities will review the lease status and take the necessary steps to get the premises vacated as per procedure,” said Ganesh Rathod, a senior NMC officer.

The Patre family, however, downplayed the controversy. “The road is 14 to 15 feet above our balcony, and there’s no safety issue,” said the house’s owner Pravin Patre. “It’s just a beam passing through. We had already been notified about our balcony extension earlier this year and cooperated with the authorities. People are making the video viral just for publicity.”

With both agencies shifting responsibility, the incident has become a cautionary tale for Nagpur’s urban planning and execution of large-scale infrastructure projects.