Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), set to present its Budget on July 2, is facing criticism for failing to develop its own GIS mapping-based city master plan for sustainable development. Urban planners and developers opine that the city’s infrastructure is being developed haphazardly due to the lack of centralized planning, often leaving decisions to the whims of individual corporators. They emphasize that BMC should create a comprehensive city master plan to ensure proper fund utilization, rather than promoting corporator discretionary funds.
Development in the city has been largely unplanned for almost two decades and this has led to myriad of challenges and an urban mess, according to city planners and environmentalists. They believe that the municipal body needs to address several key issues in its budget, including sustainable urban planning, planned infrastructure development, regular water supply, a robust sewage system, and effective waste management. Although the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)-II is being implemented for the sewage system, planners stress the need for city-wide planning rather than decisions made at the ward level by corporators.
Collective Effort
“There must be a collective effort for a proper master plan in the city. There is no public participation as the BMC doesn’t have a proper mobile app and website. The scorching heat this year has taken a toll on the city’s green cover, which needs to be addressed.”
— Manoj Meek, CREDAI General Secretary
Balanced Development
“There must be proper planning for well-balanced development of the city. Even after 20 to 30 years, many colonies have not been handed over to BMC, which is a big failure of part of the municipal body. BMC is failing in regular garbage collection but still levies a tax for the same. In the absence of proper waste management, people are forced to dump waste on vacant plots.”
— P Raju, Signature Builders
GIS-Based Planning
“There must be GIS-based city planning for sustainable development. Infrastructure development, sewage planning, and waste management are currently being done based on corporator demand and wishes. All this should be planned at the HQ level, not at a micro-level. There is no proper planning in road construction, or laying pipelines or cables, drainage and sewer lines , leading to waterlogging during monsoons. The rising level of roads above the floor level of many houses is a big concern.”
— Kamal Rathi, Urban Planner
Wake-Up Call
“Sustainable development means economic growth, social progress, and environmental protection in the city. The intense heat this year followed by a sudden flood-like situation with the first monsoon spell is a wake-up call for the authorities. There is an urgent need for well-planned development in the city.”
— Dr. S.C. Pandey, Green Activist
