Bhopal Municipal Corporation's Neglect Of Taxpayers: Nearly 1,500 Km Of Roads In Disrepair
· Free Press Journal
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Though crores of rupees have been spent, nearly 1,500 kilometres of internal roads and service lanes under Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) remain dilapidated, much to the despair of lakhs of taxpayers.
With the monsoon having arrived on June 24, damaged roads, unfinished construction and waterlogged potholes have once again turned daily commuting into a hazardous experience for lakhs of residents.
Visit umafrika.club for more information.
Some of the city's busiest service lanes, including those along Narmadapuram Road, Maida Mills Road, Raisen Road and Nehru Nagar remain in poor condition.
These roads serve nearly 350 colonies and around two lakh households, yet little has changed over the past four years despite the transfer of three municipal commissioners, two superintending engineers, four executive engineers and two assistant engineers.
Every year, residents are assured of repairs before the monsoon but promises largely remained unfulfilled.
NCAP funds for road construction
The controversy surrounding the road works centres on the utilisation of funds under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
Following directions from National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Centre allocated funds to improve Bhopal's air quality by paving nearly 1,100 km of unpaved roads and developing greenery on central medians to reduce dust pollution.
However, instead of constructing durable cement concrete roads, BMC used the funds to lay paving blocks on highway service lanes, raising questions over whether the scheme s objective has been achieved.
Rs 3.80 crore project half complete
The service road project on Narmadapuram Road was initially sanctioned for Rs 3.40 crore before being revised to Rs 3.80 crore.
Despite only around 50% of the work being done, the contractor has already received Rs 1.80 crore, while another Rs 1.60 crore worth of bills has reportedly been approved for payment.
Meanwhile, nearly 2.5 lakh daily commuters continue to struggle with dust, potholes and severe traffic congestion.
Accident-prone stretches await completion
Several access points along Narmadapuram Road remain accident-prone due to the absence of completed service roads, forcing local traffic onto the main carriageway alongside fast-moving vehicles.
Executive engineer SK Rajesh said a notice had been issued to the contractor directing them to expedite the work.
While paving blocks are currently being laid near Shriram Colony and Chinar Building, construction near Barkatullah University has yet to begin.
When contacted, BMC superintending engineer (mechanical) Ramroop Jarolia said not all damaged roads were under civic body s jurisdiction.
Executive engineers are responsible for roads under their divisions, he added.
Divisional commissioner pulls up BMC over poor roads
Newly appointed Divisional Commissioner Karmveer Sharma expressed displeasure over the poor condition of city roads and directed Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) to immediately repair potholes and damaged stretches.
Reviewing civic works on Saturday at Atal Bhawan, Sharma said it was unacceptable that roads remained in disrepair despite the onset of the monsoon, causing inconvenience to commuters.
During the review meeting, the divisional commissioner assessed the functioning of municipal departments and the progress of key development projects.
The issue of illegal colonies and unauthorised constructions also figured prominently during the meeting. Sharma directed strict action against illegal developments and ordered the immediate re-moval of unauthorised structures.
Officials presented department-wise updates on sanitation, revenue collection, water supply, construction works, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Smart City projects and other ongoing schemes.
Madhya Pradesh June 26, 2026, Weather Update: Monsoon Set To Cover Bhopal, Ujjain Divisions Soon; 45 Districts On Rain Alert