Bhopal Municipal Corporation Master Plan Relief Only From 2028
Dhote said different types of commercial activity should be rationally categorised. While essential services such as dairy shops, vegetable vendors and barber shops may be permitted in residential areas, activities attracting large crowds, such as coaching centres, require stricter planning because of their parking impact.
Bhopal Municipal Corporation Master Plan Relief Only From 2028 |
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Traders protesting the Bhopal Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) sealing drive may have to wait several years for substantial relief, with the process likely to begin only from 2028 even if the long-pending Bhopal Master Plan is implemented soon, according to urban planning experts and officials of the Town and Country Planning (T&CP) Department and BMC.
T&CP officials said merely notifying the Master Plan would not immediately regularise existing commercial activities in residential areas.
Inviting and resolving claims and objections could take several months to a year. Thereafter, land-use changes, planning and conversion of residential properties for commercial use could take another two years or more.
Experts estimate it could take four to five years after implementation of the plan to fully streamline the city, with traders likely to start getting relief from 2028.
BMC is also reportedly considering a city-wide parking policy under which it could provide parking facilities and recover a lump-sum fee from property owners or users.
Technical Survey Can Take Time
Town and Country Planning (T&CP) Department Commissioner-cum-Director Kaushlendra Vikram Singh said Bhopal first needs a comprehensive technical survey of existing buildings, permissions, land use and violations, which could take a few months.
Parking Remains The Biggest Challenge
BMC Deputy Commissioner Bhuvan Gupta said commercialisation alone would not resolve violations, particularly those related to Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and parking. He said parking has emerged as the biggest problem in areas where commercial activities operate from residential properties. Many buildings lack adequate parking, forcing customers and visitors to park on roads and outside neighbouring houses.
Master Plan Needs Localised Commercial Centres
MANIT Department of Architecture and Planning Professor Krishna Kumar Dhote, who was involved in developing the non-implemented Master Plan in 2018-19, said the new plan should not focus only on creating large commercial hubs. Instead, smaller commercial centres should be developed within neighbourhoods so residents do not have to travel long distances to places such as New Market or major malls. He said the plan should also have a vision for 2047.
Dhote said different types of commercial activity should be rationally categorised. While essential services such as dairy shops, vegetable vendors and barber shops may be permitted in residential areas, activities attracting large crowds, such as coaching centres, require stricter planning because of their parking impact.
“The long-term problems that have developed in Bhopal will also require long-term solutions, implemented step by step,” Dhote said.
Vijayvargiya Says Bhopal To Get New Master Plan Soon
Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said the government is concerned over the ongoing sealing drive in Bhopal. He said discussions will again be held in Delhi with top lawyers to find a “middle path” that provides relief and convenience to traders while complying with legal requirements.
Vijayvargiya said the government is working to prepare the new Master Plan soon, which is expected to address issues related to commercial activities and urban development.
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