MP’s urban roadmap focuses on future population needs: Kailash Vijayvargiya

Bhopal: With nearly half of Madhya Pradesh’s population projected to reside in urban areas by 2047, the state government is reshaping its urban development strategy to meet future infrastructure requirements while keeping sustainability at the core, Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said on Thursday.

Addressing the press conference marking two years of the state government, Vijayvargiya said urban planning is being pursued with a long-term vision, focusing on population growth, climate concerns and sustainability, with cities developed around ease of living and ease of doing business. He said an Integrated Township Policy will support planned urbanisation without compromising greenery, while Ujjain’s development is being aligned with Simhastha 2028.

The minister said Madhya Pradesh’s cleanliness drive is now being extended to improving urban air quality, with gardens and urban forests promoted across cities, while all 413 urban local bodies will be equipped with solar power systems for civic needs.

Large-scale plantation drives are also being undertaken, citing Indore’s plantation of 11.4 lakh saplings, which has found mention in the Guinness World Records.

On river conservation, Vijayvargiya said the Namami Narmade campaign, with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore, is ensuring that polluted urban wastewater does not enter the Narmada through strengthened sewage management.

Highlighting planned urban growth, the minister said work has begun on the Bhopal and Indore-Ujjain metropolitan regions to ensure integrated amenities, investment and job creation.

To improve the financial sustainability of urban local bodies, GIS mapping of urban properties is being undertaken, while measures such as energy audits, the introduction of solar power, and the deployment of AI-based biometric systems to eliminate bogus salary payments are being implemented to reduce expenditure of urban bodies.

Listing key achievements, Vijayvargiya said more than 1.6 lakh houses have been completed under the PMAY (Urban), with MP securing second place nationally in the Best Performing category.

He said eight cities from Madhya Pradesh won national awards in Swachh Survekshan 2024, Indore retained its position as the country’s cleanest city for the eighth consecutive year and became the first city in India to generate revenue through carbon credits.

Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner of the Department, Sanjay Dubey and Sanket Bhondve, respectively, were present during the press conference.