Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The urban administration department (UAD) and Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) projected 2025 as a year of transformation marked by metro rail launches, housing construction, digital governance and policy reforms. Official data pointed to expansion and institutional innovation.
Yet, on the ground, these achievements were frequently overshadowed by execution gaps, environmental shortfalls by failure to achieve one crore sapling plantation target of 2025, governance irregularities and public dissatisfaction over tons of garbage still lying on dumpsites.
As the year ends, urban development in state reflects a mixed picture of progress and persistent structural weaknesses. Free Press brings you glimpses.
Metro projects: Corridors opened, gaps persist
Urban mobility remained the most high-profile focus. In 2025, 6 km of the Indore Metro s priority corridor began commercial operations, while 7 km of the Bhopal Metro opened for passengers by year-end. Depots in both cities became functional and multiple safety and braking trials were completed before launch. Despite these milestones, the ground reality told a different story. At several Bhopal Metro stations, only 10 20 % of approach roads, footpaths and access works were completed when services commenced, raising serious safety and accessibility concerns.
Environment: Targets missed & no solution for legacy waste
Environmental performance showed clear numerical shortfalls. Against a central target to plant over 1 crore saplings in urban areas, Madhya Pradesh planted 71 lakh saplings, roughly 71% of the target. UAD s direct contribution stood at about 35 lakh saplings while Bhopal and Jabalpur ranked among the lowest performers for most of the year.
Legacy waste management remained another weak point. UAD targeted the clearance of over 60 lakh tons of old waste by January 2026, but by the end of 2025, only 8 10% of this target had been achieved. Dump sites continued to expand with Bhopal s Adampur landfill witnessing repeated fires during summer, exposing the lack of long-term scientific waste solutions
Housing projects: Output numbers rise but delays in possession
Housing delivery remained one of UAD s strongest numerical claims. During 2025, Madhya Pradesh Housing and Infrastructure Development Board reported the completion of 1,954 houses and the development of 1,296 residential plots. In addition, 170.80 acres of land were allotted for housing and infrastructure, and six redevelopment projects worth Rs 152.43 crore were finalised.
However, several urban centres reported delays in possession, gaps in basic amenities and quality concerns, raising questions about whether construction targets alone were translating into liveable housing environments.
No e-bus, city transport weakens
One of the most significant failures of 2025 was the slowdown in public city transport, particularly the electric bus programme, as zero out of 582 e-buses arrived. The state had committed to expanding e-bus fleets under national clean mobility initiatives, but multiple cities failed to meet deployment and operational targets.
In several municipal corporations, promised e-bus services were either delayed, underutilised or partially withdrawn due to high operating costs, charging infrastructure gaps and weak route planning. As a result, traditional city bus services also declined. Fleet sizes shrank, routes were cut, and service frequency dropped in many cities, pushing commuters back to private vehicles and worsening congestion. In Bhopal, city buses fleet reduced from 365 to 75
Fake municipal employees & financial leakages
Governance failures within urban local bodies were reflected in stark financial figures. Investigations revealed that municipal bodies were losing over Rs 28 crore annually due to fake or ghost employees drawing salaries. To address this, UAD introduced a face-recognition attendance system across 413 ULBs. The department also blacklisted 11 construction firms across five divisions for substandard work, highlighting chronic weaknesses in contractor selection and monitoring.
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