About Bhopal Town Planning
Bhopal is a well-planned, fast developing city which serves as the centre of socio economic and political life of the state of Madhya Pradesh. The evolution of architecture and urban design in Bhopal, reflects a deep respect for its natural topography and sustainable planning practices.
The city has sustained in a healthy manner by continuously altering its existing built fabric to create an adaptable situation in response to the changing needs of its citizenry.
In past decades, Bhopal has been growing at an unprecedented pace, which has posed a major challenge for the planners, to contain the city’s growth within its planned framework. This has largely been guided and influenced by the building and planning principles being followed in the city.
Bye Laws in Bhopal
The buildings in capital city of Bhopal adhere to the guidelines given in Madhya Pradesh Bhumi Vikas Adhiniyam (Rules 1984), which states byelaws for cities in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Additionally, Bhopal Development Plan details out the area wise development and building restrictions which vary according to local context.
Floor Area Ratio / Floor Space Index (FAR / FSI)
FAR or FSI is the ratio of building’s total floor area to the size of the plot. It varies from city to city, and according to local conditions can vary within a city as well.
In case of Bhopal, the FAR/FSI can detailed out as per the land use given in master plan of the city. The Madhya Pradesh Bhumi Rules state the F.A.R according to different types of land use, and the same are followed in Bhopal.
FSI or FAR or Different Use Groups in Bhopal
| F.A.R for Different Use Group | |||
| S.No | Use Group | F.A.R | Remarks |
| 1 | Residential | F.A.R and density may be adopted as provided in the development plans of respective places. | |
| 2 | Commercial/Business | 1 | Neighbourhood Shopping centre |
| 1.2 | Sub-district shopping centre | ||
| 1.5 | Central Business district area | ||
| 3 | Administrative Areas | ||
| 3 | Education | 1 | |
| 4 | Institution | 1.5 | |
| 5 | Assembly | 1.5 | |
| 6 | Industrial | 0.6 | Up to 250 sq. metres |
| 0.55 | 250-300 sq. metres | ||
| 0.5 | 300 sq. metres to 0.2 hectare | ||
| 0.45 | 0.8-1.2 hectare | ||
| 0.4 | 1.2-2.8 hectare | ||
| 0.3 | Above 2.8 hectares | ||
SOURCE: MP Bhumi Rules (Table 7, Rule 61)
| S.No | Use Group | Area | F.A.R |
| 1 | Residential | Central Core | 1.75 |
| Old City | 1.25-1.5 | ||
| For plots situated along roads less than 10m wide, the FAR is to be reduced by 0.25. | |||
| 2 | Commercial | Central core | 2 |
| Inner Ring Road | 2.5 | ||
| Areas in between inner and outer ring roads with 60’ and above width | 2.5 | ||
| Other roads less than 60’ width | 2 | ||
| Outer Ring roads | 2.5 | ||
| Gurubux ki Tallaiya area | 2.5 | ||
| 3 | Public Buildings and Institutions | Religious and local bodies | 1.8 |
| 4 | Institutional Uses (may vary depending upon location and nature of use) | Hospitals | 1.5 |
| Health Centres | 1 | ||
SOURCE: Bhopal Development Plan, 2005
Locality Wise FAR or FSI - Bhopal
The F.A.R varies according to the land use category the area falls under according to the master plan. Most areas are a mix of residential, commercial and institutional spaces, with some industrial developments as well.
There is no set criteria for division of localities in the city, below are the F.A.Rs of some prominent localities of Bhopal, classified according to the land use of that particular area as observed from the master plan.
| S.No | Locality | F.A.R (Residential) | F.A.R (Commercial) | F.A.R (Industrial) | F.A.R (Institutional/ Public buildings) | F.A.R (Educational) | F.A.R (Administrative) |
| 1 | M.P Nagar | 1.75 | 2 | 0.5 | 1.5 | ||
| 2 | T.T Nagar | 1.75 | 2 | 1.8 | 1 | ||
| 3 | Habibganj | 1.75 | 1.8 | 1 | |||
| 4 | Arera Colony | 1.75 | 2 | 1.8 | 1 | ||
| 5 | Char Imli | 1.75 | 2 | 1 | 1.5 | ||
| 6 | Chuna Bhatti | 1.75 | 1.8 | ||||
| 7 | Idgah Hills | 1.75 | 1.5 | 1.5 | |||
| 8 | Nehru Nagar | 1.75 | 2 | 1 | |||
| 9 | BHEL | 1.75 | 0.3-0.4 | ||||
| 10 | Arera Hills | 1.75 | 0.5 | 1.5 | |||
| 11 | Malviya Nagar | 1.75 | 2 | 1.8 | |||
| 12 | Koh-e-Fiza | 1.75 | 1.5/1.8 | 1 | |||
| 13 | Jahangirabad | 1.75 | 1.8 | 1.5 | |||
| 14 | Kolar | 1.75 | 2 | 1.5/1.8 | |||
| 15 | Indrapuri | 1.75 | 2 | ||||
| 16 | Shahpura | 1.75 | 2 | 1.8 | |||
| 17 | Shahjahanabad | 1.75 | 0.6 | ||||
| 18 | GovindPura | 2 | 0.3-0.4 | 1.8 | |||
| 19 | Shivaji Nagar | 1.75 | |||||
| 20 | Gulmohar colony | 1.75 | 1.8 | ||||
| 21 | Shyama Hills | 1.8 | 1.5 | ||||
| 22 | Kotra Sultanabad | 1.75 | 1.8 | ||||
| 23 | Peer Gate Area | 1.75 | 2 | 1.8/1.5 | |||
| 24 | Budhwara | 1.75 | 2 | 1.5 | |||
| 25 | Piplani | 1.75 | 1 |
