Author: Nagpur Updates

On Saturday finally, the heritage conservation committee approved Maha
Metro’s Futala Lake redevelopment project and proposal to include 300-year-
old Gujar Wada on Kelibag Road in the heritage list is still pending. Nagpur’s
Municipal Corporation deputy municipal commissioner toke the decision to
this effect at the meeting held by NMC in the absence of retired Neeri Director
TapanChakarabarti and architect Ashok Mokha. The committee had finally
approved Maha Metro’s proposal to demolish the road opposite the Futala
Lake for construction of tunnels, 4000 seat view gallery over the tunnel,
restaurants and other beautification works. The committees signal was
necessary as Futala Lake and its bund is grade-1 heritage zone. There will be no
damage to the bund and Futala lake MahaMeetro assured this thing. Rs112 Crore
is assured for this project under central Road Fund by city’s MP AND Union
Minister Sir. NitinGadkari. “As per the Supreme Court’s order, the committee
completed the entire process and decided not to include 49 structures, including
Gujar Wada, in the list. A legal view is needed on Gujar Wada proposal as the
application seeking its inclusion in the heritage list was received a few days
ago.”Mohite said. There are chances that the committee would reject the proposal
NMC sources told. One of the members of Nagpur’s Royal families Mam
Pratibha Mane has already sent the proposal in favour to save the historical
monument from demolition for Kelibagh Road widening and concertizing
project. Gadkari, former Mayor, and Bjp corporator Pravin Datke are trying
their best level for the execution of the project. Committee had already
softened they are its stand on their violation in the case of Grand Post Office and
RBI. The GPO had been directed by the committee to demolish the structure
constructed in its premises without NOC.

The committee had made a three sub-committee to verify documents and to submit a report. The committee said that GPO had already submitted the plans to get its sanction from the town planning department. Similarly, the committee will do not act against
constructions done on RBI premises without permission. After consulting
Mokha the decision on RBI’s case would be taken said, Mohite. RBI had got
building planned sanctioned in 2006 and documents are already submitted he
added. National football association’s proposal to conduct the tournament
between 21st December to 26th December at Kasturchand Park has been
approved by the committee. However, the committee rejected other 4 event
proposal at Kasturchand park, including NMC’s women entrepreneur
convention and exhibition, India Handicraft Board’s exhibition, Gurdwara Shri
Guru Singh Sabha’s Gurunanak Jayanti programme and Bahujan Aghadi’s public
meet.

Finally, after the wait of 12 years, Ramjhula was opened for all the public on
January 2018. In 2006 the work order of two-phase Ramjhula was finally
issued. It was estimated that both the phases of Ramjhula was to be
completed by 2009. The project got delayed due to various reasons. The
first phase was finally opened in December 2014. Then MSRDC started
working on the second phase. MSRDC mentioned that there were various
reasons to delay the projects. They had the problem in acquiring railway land,
procurement of cables from South Korea, Japan and South Africa. The obtaining
of various permissions from railway also got delayed.

Rs.46 corer was the initial cost of the project but overall Rs.113 corer was spent. The length of the Ramjhula including approaches is 600 meter, it is a six-lane structure with three lanes in each bridge. 200Meter is the length of the cable-stayed bridge. Height
of ramjhula is 56 meter. The bridge crosses the Nagpur Railway Station. On the
eastern side, the blue line of the metro will run along the central side of the bridge.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today inaugurated the Cable-Stayed
Ramjhula Railway Flyover Bridge, Phase 2, at Santra Market, connecting East-
West Nagpur. The demand for many years of the people of Nagpur has finally
fulfilled. This bridge has actually solved the problem of traffic nearby to the
railway station. Ramjhula has opened for all the transports today. At the
inauguration of RamJhula Union Minister Nitin Gadkari presided over the
programme while Guardian Minister Chandrasekhar Bavankule, Public Works
Minister Eknath Shinde, Mayor Smt. Nanda Jichkar, MP Dr Vikas Mahatme,
MLA Sudhakar Deshmukh, Dr Milind Mane, Sudhakar Kohale, NMC leader of
the party in power Sandeep Joshi, Leader of the Opposition Tanaji Vanwe,
District Collector Ashwin Mudgal, Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar,
Chief Engineer Ulhas Debadwar, Chief Engineer Sudhakar Murari,
Superintending Engineer Ujjwal Dabe, Manoj Malewar, former Mayor Pravin
Datke and others were present on the occasion. Ramjhula is one of the new
architecture marvel in Nagpur which has almost solve the traffic problem.