Blueprint for Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, once a temple town and now arising urban star, stands at a critical juncture. As one of India’s fastest-growing Tier-2 cities, it has transformed into a hub for education, IT, tourism, and culture. Yet, its growth is outpacing its governance. Without bold structural reforms, Bhubaneswar risks becoming a victim of its own success - straining under the weight of inadequate infrastructure, fragmented planning, and reactive administration. The time has come to ask:should Bhubaneswar be granted greater autonomy to manage its own development, growth, and resources? Can we envision a Greater Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri Metropolitan Region governed by a unified, empowered civic authority - one that is agile, accountable, and future-ready?

- CHARUDUTTA PANIGRAHI

Bhubaneswar’s urban sprawl is accelerating. Between 2001 and 2011, its population grew by over 30 per cent, and by 2023, the Bhubaneswar Urban Agglomeration had crossed 1.2 million residents. With the adjoining cities of Cuttack and Puri forming a natural economic and cultural corridor, the region is poised to become a megacity. But the cracks are showing:

Infrastructure Stress: Water supply, sewage, solid waste management, and public transport systems are already under strain. A 2022 report by the Centre for Science and Environment ranked Bhubaneswar low on sustainable urban mobility.

Fragmented Governance: Multiple agencies - Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), and state departments - operate in silos, leading to duplication, delays, and diluted accountability.

Investment Bottlenecks: Despite being a Smart City, Bhubaneswar struggles to attract frontier technology firms due to inconsistent urban services, lack of high-quality talent retention infrastructure, and limited global connectivity.

Environmental Vulnerability: Rapid urbanization has led to the loss of wetlands, green cover, and increased flood risk, especially in low-lying areas between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.

Autonomy is not about secession from the state; it is about subsidiarity: devolving decision-making to the level closest to the citizen. A Greater Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri Metropolitan Region (GBCPMR), governed by a unified and empowered Metropolitan Governance Authority (MGA), could:

Enable Integrated Planning: A single authority can harmonize land use, transport, housing, and environmental planning across the region. Accelerate Infrastructure Delivery: With fiscal and administrative powers, the MGA can fast-track projects, attract private investment, and ensure quality execution.