Nearly 70 Shops, 59 Shanties Demolished In 13-Hour Road-Widening Drive In Bhopal

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A major anti-encroachment drive in Bhopal's Indrapuri B-Sector on Saturday resulted in the demolition of 59 shanties and 70 illegal shops to clear the way for a proposed four-lane road and bridge project on Raisen Road.

Bhopal Municipal Corporation began demolition drive at 6 am that continued till 7.30 pm in presence of municipal and administrative officials amid heavy police force.

The demolition was carried out in Labour Colony slum area opposite Global Skill Park, where the existing road narrows to a single lane due to long-standing encroachments.

Officials said the road was wide on both sides and the bottleneck had become a major obstacle to Public Works Department's expansion plans.

When contacted, Govindpura SDM Bhuvan Gupta said houses and shops were demolished to facilitate road widening.

In addition to shanties and shops, portions of two religious structures were also demolished. Housing will be provided to the displaced residents by BMC's Housing for All wing, said Gupta.

Religious structures affected

During the drive, authorities demolished approximately 80% of a mosque that fell within the road construction zone.

The tin shed and platform of Manshapuran Hanuman Temple complex were also removed. The administration said the temple shed would be relocated to another site.

Residents voice concerns

Many residents had moved their belongings before the drive began while officials removed the remaining possessions before demolishing structures.

Several affected residents protested, saying the alternative land being offered is far from their current location. They also expressed fears that they could face future displacement again in the name of development projects.

Government land reclaimed

According to officials, the drive reclaimed about 4,000 square metres (approximately 43,000 square feet) of government land along a 210-metre stretch of road.

The land is valued at Rs 10 crore as per official guidelines, while its estimated market value is approximately Rs 40 crore. Officials said the removal of encroachments would allow the four-lane road and bridge project to move forward at a faster pace.