BHOPAL: A fresh Rs 6 crore smart road project planned in Bhopal’s TT Nagar area has come under scrutiny at a time when parts of the existing infrastructure developed under the Smart City project remain underused and several stretches of the development zone continue to face encroachment. The Bhopal Smart City Development Corporation Limited (BSCDCL) is preparing another 30-metre-wide road under the Area Based Development (ABD) project in TT Nagar. According to sources cited in the report, the proposed corridor will include underground utility ducts, storm-water drains and sewer lines. The idea is to create an integrated road where essential services such as electricity, data networks, water supply and drainage can be carried through underground trenches. This could reduce repeated road digging for maintenance and utility work while also addressing problems such as waterlogging and service disruptions. The project will be part of the 342-acre ABD zone covering North and South TT Nagar, which was originally planned as a major showcase of Bhopal’s Smart City development.

Questions, however, are being raised over the timing of another major infrastructure investment when parts of the existing ABD area are yet to be fully utilised. According to the report, substantial portions of the Smart City zone, particularly towards Dussehra Maidan, remain affected by encroachments. Land where government housing was demolished has reportedly been occupied at different locations by informal settlements, scrap dealers and makeshift parking. Waste and unplanned occupation have also affected stretches that were intended to emerge as organised civic spaces. The situation has led to criticism over whether constructing another smart road should be the immediate priority without first addressing the condition and utilisation of infrastructure already created in the area. The latest Rs 6 crore project also comes against the backdrop of questions surrounding the broader progress of Bhopal’s Smart City programme. Bhopal was among the first 20 cities selected under the Smart Cities Mission in 2016. The report states that more than Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 1,350 crore has reportedly been spent over the years, but some planned components, including knowledge hubs, start-up centres, smart poles and sections of the drainage network, remain incomplete or are not performing to their expected potential.

BSCDCL is now focusing on utility-heavy corridors such as the proposed Bhopal smart road, according to the report. The approach is aimed at developing a ready infrastructure spine in the ABD area before commercial and residential plots are pushed more aggressively to investors. The proposed road's underground utility network is expected to bring power, water, data and drainage infrastructure into a single planned corridor, reducing the need to repeatedly dig up roads whenever repair or expansion work is required. Storm-water drainage could also become important during the monsoon, when waterlogging remains a recurring civic concern in several parts of the city. Still, the project is likely to remain under focus because of the visible condition of some existing Smart City stretches. Nearly a decade after Bhopal was selected for the programme, questions continue over how effectively the investment has translated into usable infrastructure on the ground. The challenge for the Smart City corporation will therefore go beyond constructing the new 30-metre road. Clearing encroachments, making existing infrastructure functional and ensuring that the wider ABD zone develops as originally planned will remain equally important if the latest Rs 6 crore investment is to deliver visible benefits.