Bhopal BMC issues 5,778 notices, sets 24-hour ultimatum on illegal commercial use

Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has begun issuing final 24-hour notices to owners of properties found operating unauthorised commercial activities in residential zones. The civic body has issued 5,778 notices since August 9, following a Supreme Court order of August 5. Owners who do not stop commercial use within a day face sealing of their premises from Monday. The survey covers more than 62,000 properties across six assembly constituencies.

In a parallel move, BMC is expanding its Bulk Waste Generator registration to major government buildings, including its own Atal Bhawan, Satpura Bhawan, Vindhyachal Bhawan and the District Court. The registration follows new Solid Waste Management Rules effective April 1. Vallabh Bhawan was registered as a BWG on August 13. Central and state government offices will be charged Rs 2,400 per tonne for waste disposal, segregated waste attracts Rs 922 per tonne, while mixed waste incurs a 150% penalty.

Separately, BMC has made credibility verification of applicants mandatory before approving building permissions, alongside a 2% supervision charge. The measure comes after repeated cases where builders obtained residential permits but built shops and penthouses. BMC earned Rs 51.78 crore from building permissions and legal colony cells between April 1, 2025 and March 5, 2026. Municipal commissioner Sanskrati Jain has assigned city planners to monitor permission-related revenue weekly.