Bhopal: The draft of the Bhopal Development Plan 2047 has been prepared, outlining proposals for urban expansion, green areas, mixed land use, transport infrastructure, education, employment-oriented activities and environmental conservation.
The draft plan has been structured around four broad pillars: conservation of the natural ecosystem; modern and citizen-oriented planning; reform-oriented and transformative planning; and development aimed at promoting self-reliance and economic activity.
The Madhya Pradesh government is expected to invite claims, objections and suggestions from the public on the published draft.
Draft Proposes 51-Km Growth Corridor
A major proposal in the draft is a 51-km Growth Corridor intended to connect different parts of the city and surrounding metropolitan area.
The proposed corridor would link the Education, Knowledge and Artificial Intelligence (EKAI) City, airport, proposed CMU, logistics and wholesale areas and various suburbs.
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The draft proposes high-density, mixed-use development along the corridor, with provisions for:
- Hotels and hospitality
- Healthcare
- IT and AI-related activities
- Data centres
- Logistics and wholesale trade
- Hypermarkets, malls and multiplexes
- Corporate offices and institutions
- Education hubs
- Housing
A BRTS corridor has also been proposed, with the possibility of upgrading it to an MRTS system in the future.
The Growth Corridor would be connected with the city through radial routes and developed around Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) principles. Regional routes towards Vidisha, Raisen, Narmadapuram and Indore would also be linked through the proposed corridor.
The draft proposes around 3,000 hectares of land under growth-corridor development.
Mixed Land Use Proposed Along Wider Roads
The draft proposes mixed land use in residential areas based on road width, in line with the state’s TOD policy.
The stated objective is to allow residential and workplace uses to coexist in suitable areas and encourage public-transport-oriented mobility. The draft also proposes changes to Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and building-height regulations based on road width. Land parcels located along wider roads would have fewer restrictions on FAR and building height under the proposed framework.
The plan also proposes removing ground-floor coverage requirements and revising minimum open-space requirements around buildings.
Green Area to Rise From 16% to 27%
One of the major environmental provisions in the draft is the proposed increase in the city’s designated green area.
The Bhopal Development Plan 2005 had designated around 16% of the planning area as green space. The 2047 draft proposes increasing this to around 27%.
The draft also proposes increasing open areas at the colony level from 10% to 12%. A golf course has been proposed as part of the redevelopment of Bhanpur Khanti.
The plan includes provisions for Green TDR to compensate landowners whose land falls within proposed green areas while allowing development rights to be transferred through the TDR mechanism.
A separate Heritage TDR provision has also been proposed.
Bhojtal and Natural Areas to Be Protected
The draft places emphasis on conserving Bhojtal and its catchment area, along with hills, forests, ponds, water bodies and tiger movement areas.
The plan is intended to accommodate development while retaining provisions for environmentally sensitive areas.
Bhopal contains Bhojtal, a Ramsar-designated wetland, as well as forest areas, a national park and tiger movement areas.
EKAI City and Education Hub Proposed
An Education, Knowledge and Artificial Intelligence (EKAI) City has been proposed in the Bhauri area as an education hub.
The draft also provides for employment-oriented activities along the Growth Corridor and identifies education, IT, AI and data centres among the proposed land uses.
Charitable activities such as orphanages, schools for children with hearing and speech disabilities, special schools, hostels, old-age homes and night shelters have been proposed for exemption from mandatory FAR requirements.
These activities would be permitted in residential, public, semi-public, mixed-use, CMU, TOD and agricultural-use areas under the draft provisions.
Digital Twin Proposed for Urban Monitoring
The draft proposes a Digital Twin City system for real-time monitoring of plan implementation, unauthorised construction and urban mobility.
The proposal is also intended to help monitor implementation-related issues and facilitate timely intervention.
For public safety, the draft includes provisions for networking private CCTV cameras installed in public places, transparent boundary walls for public buildings and safer traffic arrangements.
Parking and Redevelopment Provisions
The draft proposes several parking-related measures, including:
- Multi-level parking
- Mechanised parking
- Parking beneath community open spaces
- Parking beneath ROBs and flyovers
- Basement parking through plot consolidation
- Provisions allowing RWAs to collect parking fees on public roads
For redevelopment of existing urban areas, the draft proposes measures such as plot consolidation and concessions in base FAR. It also proposes allowing RWAs to undertake redevelopment of residential apartments if 70% of residents agree.
Provisions have also been proposed to encourage rental housing and redevelopment-oriented housing projects.
Plan Covers 1,016.90 Sq Km
The proposed Bhopal Development Plan 2047 covers an investment area of 1,016.90 square kilometres and includes 254 villages.
The plan has been prepared for an estimated population of around 45 lakh. The proposed developable area under the plan is 61,017.02 hectares. For comparison, the Bhopal Development Plan 2005 covered an investment area of 601.06 square kilometres and included 146 villages.
The draft now awaits the public consultation process, after which claims and objections will be considered as part of the statutory planning process.
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