Ganeshotsav crowds bring traffic jams, parking chaos to Nagpur streets

As the festive season begins in Nagpur, traffic on the city's roads has worsened sharply. A sudden rise in the number of vehicles in markets and on main roads has caused jams at several points, with people taking far longer than usual to cover even short distances.

The crowding and traffic snarls are expected to continue for the next 10 days. People stepping out for festive shopping are facing jams, haphazard parking and crawling traffic at every turn. Police are present at major markets, busy intersections and main roads, but the situation remains out of control, worsening further in the evenings.

Residents say better traffic management, proper parking arrangements and a larger police presence are urgently needed during the festival period to give ordinary people some relief. With the start of Ganeshotsav, keeping traffic organised for the next 10 days has become a major challenge for the administration.

Haphazard parking in several key areas of the city is also straining the traffic system. Vehicles parked along roadsides and in no-parking zones have narrowed roads, making it difficult for drivers to move. Despite this, traffic police are seen merely watching rather than taking action. The situation is worst in major markets and busy roads, where long lines of vehicles form on both sides. Residents say the lack of regular enforcement has left drivers parking wherever they please.

With the start of the festive season, encroachments have also risen sharply in the city's main markets and busy roads. Temporary stalls set up on footpaths and roads are causing trouble for both pedestrians and drivers. At several spots, shopkeepers have spread their goods onto the road, directly affecting traffic. The problem of encroachment has worsened amid growing festive shopping crowds in the markets, but the department responsible for acting on it appears to be making inadequate efforts.