📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / John Hoey from Framingham, MA, United States
Local
Indore’s New Master Plan Stalled for Five Years While Bhopal’s Draft Advances
✍️ Amar Ujala · Indore
🗓 26 Sep 2026, 07:31 PM
👁 10
The draft of Bhopal’s master plan has been released, but Indore’s new master plan remains stuck in preparation after a five‑year delay, leading to unplanned settlements around the city.
The Madhya Pradesh government has recently published the draft of Bhopal’s master plan, marking a significant step forward for the state capital’s urban development. In contrast, Indore’s long‑awaited master plan is still confined to the drafting stage, a delay that has now stretched to five years.
Urban planners and local officials say the prolonged hold‑up is hampering coordinated growth in the Indore metropolitan region. Without an updated master plan, authorities lack a clear framework to regulate land use, infrastructure expansion, and zoning.
The absence of a formal plan has already manifested in haphazard settlements sprouting on the city’s periphery. Residents and civic groups have raised concerns that unchecked construction could strain public services and compromise sustainable development.
State authorities have not provided a definitive timeline for the release of Indore’s master plan. Meanwhile, the city continues to grapple with the challenges of managing growth without a comprehensive blueprint.
Stakeholders urge the municipal corporation to expedite the drafting process to align Indore’s urban trajectory with that of other major cities in the state.
Urban planners and local officials say the prolonged hold‑up is hampering coordinated growth in the Indore metropolitan region. Without an updated master plan, authorities lack a clear framework to regulate land use, infrastructure expansion, and zoning.
The absence of a formal plan has already manifested in haphazard settlements sprouting on the city’s periphery. Residents and civic groups have raised concerns that unchecked construction could strain public services and compromise sustainable development.
State authorities have not provided a definitive timeline for the release of Indore’s master plan. Meanwhile, the city continues to grapple with the challenges of managing growth without a comprehensive blueprint.
Stakeholders urge the municipal corporation to expedite the drafting process to align Indore’s urban trajectory with that of other major cities in the state.