Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The much-awaited Bhopal master plan 2031 has been released on Friday evening.
The state capital's last master plan was released in 1995 which expired in 2005. Now, after 17 years of wait, Bhopal got its master plan, signaling a new era of development.
The news has brought much respite to the builders and realtors as they can now resume their stuck projects.
Bhopal Development Plan (amended) 2031 has dealt a blow to those who are dreaming to have properties or have acquired properties in areas adjoining Kerwa dam. The plan has kept the areas near dam in green belt.
Notably, the Bhopal Development Plan-2005 had shown area adjoining Kerwa dam as green area but in the proposed draft of Bhopal Development Plan-2031, around 51.66 hectare area was proposed as ‘Low Density Residential area’.
Fearing adverse effect on Kerwa dam and its ecology, the Plan 2031 has again shown the proposed low density residential use as green belt.
Meanwhile, the Bhopal Development Plan (amended) 2031 released on Friday evening also focuses on protection of Upper Lake and its catchment area, protection of forest land in tiger movement area, provision of coordinated routes, resetting Base Area etc.
The Plan speaks about having provisions to determine what should be the size and height of the buildings in future. The provisions related to building use will be based on the broadness of road. The activities conducted inside the buildings could be changed as per the provisions.
The amendment also stresses on provision for coordinate routes for improvement in route alignment on practical basis etc. The base FAR in proposed new residential areas has been kept low. The FAR will remain same in other areas. Additional FAR provision has been done through the medium of TDR and Premium FAR. The revenue coming from premium FAR will be used in city infrastructure and provisions of TDR will be used foland acquisition done for public purpose.
Bhopal Development Plan 2005 had provision of FAR 1:0.06 for Low Density Residential areas. In draft of 2031, this provision was increased to 1:0.75. As this area is sensitive in terms of environment hence decision was taken to have provision of FAR 1:0.06 for low density residential areas. Through this, construction of low density could be ensured in Prempura, Sevania Gond, Berkhedi Khurd, Khudaganj, Mendori, Mendora etc. The additional revenue land situated near proposed industrial area in Hazampura has been proposed for industrial land.
Upper lake
A proposed road which was going to affect the upper lake and its aquatic life has been erased in the plan. In the draft of Bhopal Development plan, a 15.7 kilometer long route of 45 meter (alongside the southern side of Full Tank Level (FTL), Upper Lake), passing through village Berkhedi Kalan, Gora, Berkheda Nathu via Khajuri Sadak on Indore route was proposed. It was going to affect the upper lake catchment area, its ecology, aquatic life lake and natural habitat of the birds. Now it stands erased.
Interestingly, many bureaucrats has purchased plots and even built houses in whispering palm colony and this area had come in the low density zone. In the anticipation of changes in the low density area, many of them have built houses, covering more areas than mentioned in the FAR.
