Bhopal's Smart City Ambitions Still Unrealised After Eight Years
SMART CITIES

Bhopal's Smart City Ambitions Still Unrealised After Eight Years

During this period, encroachments in TT Nagar have surged as government housing land that was previously cleared has transformed into slums. The smart city project, which promised over 20,000 LED lights throughout the city, has yet to reach this area. For two years, a nearly one-kilometre-long street near a tourism development property has had street poles but no lighting. BSCDCL has shifted responsibility to the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) regarding this issue.

BSCDCL released a green and blue master plan after facing opposition to smart city development in Shivaji Nagar. The claim was that 50 per cent of the ABD area would be green. However, hundreds of trees, some towering between 70 to 100 metres, were felled in the core development area, leaving plots vacant. While BSCDCL maintains compliance with green norms, city residents lament the loss of green cover in the name of development.

So far, BSCDCL has leveraged approximately Rs 3 billion from plot sales in the ABD area, attracting the interest of developers, builders, investors, and real estate agencies. However, post-pandemic, plot sales have not been without controversy. Meanwhile, more visible projects such as multi-level parking, garbage transfer stations, traffic management, and streetlights have been delegated to other agencies by BSCDCL.

The smart city project, which initially aimed for completion within two years, was inaugurated ahead of the 2018 state elections. With another state election on the horizon, empty skyscrapers dominate the skyline, failing to realise the envisioned smart development.

During this period, encroachments in TT Nagar have surged as government housing land that was previously cleared has transformed into slums. The smart city project, which promised over 20,000 LED lights throughout the city, has yet to reach this area. For two years, a nearly one-kilometre-long street near a tourism development property has had street poles but no lighting. BSCDCL has shifted responsibility to the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) regarding this issue. BSCDCL released a green and blue master plan after facing opposition to smart city development in Shivaji Nagar. The claim was that 50 per cent of the ABD area would be green. However, hundreds of trees, some towering between 70 to 100 metres, were felled in the core development area, leaving plots vacant. While BSCDCL maintains compliance with green norms, city residents lament the loss of green cover in the name of development. So far, BSCDCL has leveraged approximately Rs 3 billion from plot sales in the ABD area, attracting the interest of developers, builders, investors, and real estate agencies. However, post-pandemic, plot sales have not been without controversy. Meanwhile, more visible projects such as multi-level parking, garbage transfer stations, traffic management, and streetlights have been delegated to other agencies by BSCDCL. The smart city project, which initially aimed for completion within two years, was inaugurated ahead of the 2018 state elections. With another state election on the horizon, empty skyscrapers dominate the skyline, failing to realise the envisioned smart development.

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Leh Airport Goes Green

Leh Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport is set to become India’s first airport powered by geothermal and solar energy, marking a significant milestone in sustainable aviation. This initiative, undertaken at an estimated cost of Rs 6.50 billion, aligns with efforts to transform Ladakh into a carbon-neutral region. With airports being major energy consumers, this project represents a crucial step toward reducing carbon emissions in aviation infrastructure.  The airport’s innovative approach involves replacing conventional air-conditioning systems with underfloor heating using geothermal..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

CCI Clears Tata Sons' Additional Stake Buy in Tata Play from Baytree

The Competition Commission of India has approved the acquisition of certain additional shareholding in Tata Play (Tata Play) by Tata Sons (Tata Sons) from Baytree Investments (Mauritius).The Proposed Combination involves the acquisition of 10% shareholding in Tata Play by Tata Sons.Tata Sons is an investment holding company, which is registered as a core investment company with the Reserve Bank of India and classified as a “Systemically Important Non-Deposit Taking Core Investment Company”.Tata Play, formerly known as Tata Sky, is one of India’s leading content distribution platforms pro..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

DARPG Releases 31st CPGRAMS Report for February 2025

The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) has released the 31st monthly report on the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) for States and Union Territories (UTs) for February 2025. The report provides insights into the volume of grievances received, disposal rates, and major grievance categories across different states and UTs. Key Highlights from the Report Grievance Statistics: A total of 52,464 grievances were received in February 2025. 50,088 grievances were redressed during the month. As of 28th February 2025, the total pen..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?