Just weeks ahead of the Bhopal Metro’s long-awaited launch, a construction flaw has been detected at one of its stations, prompting urgent rectification work by the authorities. The Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) has begun lowering a road by around four feet to address inadequate ground clearance for larger vehicles near the project’s main depot.

According to officials, the issue came to light barely days before the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) granted safety clearance for passenger operations. The flaw involved one of ten piers at the Kendriya Vidyalaya station, which was found to be 0.5 metres shorter than required. “The error was identified in the original contract and will now be rectified,” a senior Bhopal Metro officer said on condition of anonymity.

Work to excavate and lower the affected road section began on Saturday, ensuring that buses, trucks, and other heavy vehicles can pass smoothly beneath the structure once the adjustment is complete.

The Bhopal Metro service, originally scheduled for launch much earlier, has faced multiple delays and is now expected to commence operations in December 2025.

This latest discovery adds to a series of design-related controversies in Madhya Pradesh’s infrastructure projects. A similar issue was reported at the Aishbag railway overbridge (ROB) in Bhopal, where a sharp 90-degree turn in the structure raised safety concerns and attracted national attention. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav publicly vowed not to inaugurate the bridge until the defect was corrected.

In another incident, a hand pump constructed in the middle of a newly built road in Dol Kothar village, Sidhi district, under a Central scheme, also sparked public outrage, leading the local administration to order a formal investigation.

The Bhopal Metro project, part of Madhya Pradesh’s effort to modernise urban transport, is expected to enhance mobility, reduce congestion, and support sustainable urban development once it becomes operational — provided all safety and design concerns are fully resolved.