Bhopal Municipal Corporation Notices Spark Traders’ Protest, Residents Hold Torch March

On Saturday, tensions surrounding commercial activities in residential areas flared in Bhopal as traders in Awadhpuri shut their shops in protest against the Bhopal Municipal Corporation's (BMC) sealing drive, while residents of Arera Colony and Gulmohar organized a torchlight march demanding stricter enforcement of Supreme Court directives.

Awadhpuri traders convened at 11:30 am, keeping the market closed, and protested against the notices and proposed sealing action, citing the timing ahead of major festivals would severely impact their businesses. Women traders and children joined the demonstration with placards and banners. Simultaneously, residents and petitioner Vivek Tripathi alleged that the civic body was merely issuing notices and conducting surveys, despite the Supreme Court's directives on illegal construction and commercial activities in residential areas.

Residents pointed out that several properties sealed or closed on August 1 now displayed "To-Let" boards, raising concerns over the resumption of commercial activity. Residents' associations cited escalating traffic, parking issues, and noise pollution caused by commercial establishments operating from residential plots, asserting their objection was to illegal commercialization, not individual traders.

As part of the United Residents Struggle Committee, residents marched with torches from Seva Market in Gulmohar through Trilanga, concluding near the former Makhanlal Chaturvedi University campus. With over 7,500 notices reportedly issued across Bhopal, the BMC is poised to escalate its actions starting Monday.