Clearances Stall ₹6,637 Crore Urban Projects Across Madhya Pradesh, 23 Major Works Delayed
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Urban Administration and Development Department (UADD) has flagged pending clearances and land-related issues as major hurdles delaying 23 urban infrastructure projects worth Rs 6,637.49 crore across 13 urban local bodies. According to UADD officials, a recent review of projects costing over Rs 100 crore found major water supply and sewerage works in Bhopal, Indore,…
The Urban Administration and Development Department (UADD) in Madhya Pradesh has highlighted land-related issues and pending clearances as significant obstacles impeding 23 urban infrastructure projects worth Rs 6,637.49 crore spread across 13 urban local bodies. Recent assessments revealed that key water supply and sewerage works in prominent cities like Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Khandwa, and Ujjain are lagging behind schedule.
Delays are attributed to a combination of factors, including railway and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) permissions, forest and environmental clearances, land availability, design issues, and insufficient contractor mobilisation. In Bhopal alone, four projects valued at Rs 1,537.44 crore are behind schedule. The Rs 582.31-crore water supply project has progressed only 24.8% of the way towards the expected 26.8%.
The Kolar Water Treatment Plant (WTP) faces delays due to forest and environmental clearance complications stemming from its location within the Ratapani Tiger Reserve. Similarly, Bhopal's Sewerage Package-2 is at a mere 8.1% completion, compared to the expected 19%, while Package-3 stands at 35.15% against the projected 49%. The Rs 293.21-crore Package-4 remains at an 19% completion rate, awaiting NHAI approval for the Ayodhya Bypass segment.
The additional commissioner of Bhopal Municipal Corporation, Tanmay V. Sharma, has forwarded these challenges to the state government for resolution. The railway clearance for four crossing points in Khandwa's Rs 250.81-crore sewerage project is a critical bottleneck, compounded by design delays. Ujjain's progress is similarly hampered by pending railway approvals for network works under two sewerage packages.
Indore's water supply packages face impediments from forest and CAMPA (Compensation to Affected People for Acquisition of Land for Abatement of Pollution) land disputes, while Indore's Mhow railway crossing requires further permission. Additionally, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has yet to issue a necessary No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for a 3.5-km trunk line under a sewerage package.
A comparative table outlines the progress of major projects in various urban local bodies (ULBs), highlighting the gap between expected and actual progress percentages.
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