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Journalism of Courage
Nagpur’s colossal Rs 998-crore Indora–Dighori flyover has become the city’s latest flashpoint. At Ashok Square, the concrete structure looms so close to one family’s home that it practically brushes their balcony, a sight that has stunned locals and has also gone viral. Clips circulating on social media show what looks like a flyover beam barging straight into someone’s living room.
According to Dainik Jagran (The Daily Jagran), the family says they were caught off guard, receiving a notice only a few months ago and “no compensation, no clear explanation.” For them, the viral memes are not funny; it’s their day-to-day reality.
The flyover, planned to ease the grind between Kamal Chowk, Reshimbagh Square and Dighori, is now being called a cautionary tale about what happens when “mega-projects collide with people’s front doors.” Online critics have described it as “planning gone rogue” and “development without humanity.”
Authorities are standing their ground. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has branded the house an illegal nirman (illegal construction) with no sanctioned plan. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) insists the project is “strictly as per approved designs.” Officials say the balcony juts out illegally and will be demolished, noting that there is still a 1.5-metre gap between the beam and the building. In an official post on X, NHAI wrote, “NHAI identified the encroachment and formally requested @ngpnmc for necessary removal action.”
That hasn’t done much to calm public anger. Even local MLA Pravin Datke has expressed sympathy, while residents argue that “unauthorised” or not, people deserve more than last-minute notices and zero rehabilitation.
The comment section under the viral videos is a battleground of opinions. One user wrote, “Looking at the visuals, anyone would say that the house is built illegally. But let’s blame NHAI to look cool. If you are encroaching, you should be least concerned about your safety.” Another observed, “Someone must be paying tax in that house. They pay tax to have flyovers inside the house it seems. Every life matters. Every rupees matters.”
A third said, “They’ll justify this one too, either by making the home illegal or by saying you can’t build more than one floor here.” And someone else quipped, “Good. They can park their car right on that flyover and drive through.”
