Research Journal of Recent Sciences ________________________________________________ ISSN 2277-2502
Vol. 1 (ISC-2011), 166-171 (2012)
Res.J.Recent Sci.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) For Bus–Based Rapid Transit
System (BRTS) Bhopal, MP, India
Rathore Kanishka Raj, Dhawankar Aditi and Gungun
MANIT Bhopal, MP, INDIA

Available online at: www.isca.in
(Received 12th October 2011, revised 25th January 2012, accepted 25th January 2012)

Abstract
EIA includes assessing the present status of air, water, land, noise, biological and socio-economic components of environment
based on secondary data collected from various respective departments. Centrally located, Bhopal, capital city of Madhya
Pradesh, is located on a hilly terrain within the Malwa Plateau. With an estimated population of 25 lakhs for the year 2011, it
mainly relies on public transport with 48% share of passenger trips; this includes standard buses, mini buses and tempos
(magic). Bus rapid transit (BRT) is a high-quality, high-capacity bus service that travels on exclusive lanes along designated
routes, often compared with the speediness and comforts of a streetcar. BRT buses reducing travel time by 15 to 30 percent and
with proper passenger facilities will surely revolutionize the public transport in Bhopal. While, time saving benefits, fuel
savings, reduction in air pollution and in traffic congestion and noise and vibration reduction fall under the positive impacts,
there are some negative impacts on environmental components of this project; which can be seen on three stages: the Design
Stage, construction stage and operational stage. This paper predicts possible impacts on different component of environment
during different phases of BRTS Bhopal and suggests possible mitigation measures for prevention as well as reduction.
Keywords: Bus–based rapid transit system (BRTS), environmental impact assessment (EIA), public transport, pollution.

Introduction
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study is done to
provide information on the surroundings and the extent of
environmental impact likely to arise on account of proposed
Bus based Rapid Transit System (BRTS) on environment:
Assessing the present status of air, water, land, noise,
biological and socio-economic components of environment
based on secondary data collected from various respective
departments. To give brief description of the project. To
identify, predict and evaluate environmental and social
impacts expected during different phases of project in
relation to the existing civic infrastructure and the sensitive
receptors, if any. To suggests mitigation measures to
minimize the pollution, environmental disturbance during
various phases of the project.
Bhopal: City Profile: Location and Linkages: Spanning
over an area of about 285km2, Bhopal the capital of Madhya
Pradesh is located on a hilly terrain within the Malwa
Plateau. National Highway 12 (Jaipur-Jabalpur road) links
the city to many large cities in the north-west and the southeast while State Highways connect it with Indore and Sagar.
It is connected to Chennai, Delhi, Nagpur and Mumbai by
railways. The city is also served by regular air services to
Mumbai, Delhi and Indore.
Physical and Geographical Character: Bhopal has an
unusual topography which provides an exclusive attraction to

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the city. Hills form a continuous belt right from Singacholi to
the Vindhyachal range upto an altitude of 625 meters, being
the maximum in this area. However the general ground level
is nearly 460 meters.
The climate of Bhopal is moderate with temperature ranging
between 10-40 degree Celsius; the highest temperature
although occasionally rises to 43 degree Celsius. The winter
season lasts from November to February, the summer from
March to June and the monsoon from mid June to September
while October sees the change from rainy to the winter
season. Winds blow from west and southwest during the
monsoon. Soil present is hard red and black cotton having
depth ranging between 4-10 feet.
Natural Drainage: Three main valleys provide the natural
drainage; by river Halali on the on the north-eastern side, by
river Kaliyasot on the south-eastern side while on the southwestern side, the drainage is provided by various small
nallahs which further drain out in Kolar river which
ultimately joins river Narmada.
Regional Setting and Growth Pattern: Socio-economic
linkages influence the developments taking place in the city.
These linkages are changing and evolving continuously in
secondary and tertiary settlement systems around the city.
The maximum growth of the city has taken place towards the
south-east direction along the Hoshangabad road. The ease of

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Research Journal of Recent Sciences ____________________________________________________________ ISSN 2277-2502
Vol. 1 (ISC-2011), 166-171 (2012)
Res. J. Recent Sci.
transportation, levelled land and nearness to Habibganj
railway station are the major factors responsible for this
growth. However, the vast expanse of the Upper Lake could
not encourage the Westward growth of the city.

The number of passenger per trip is about 46, there are
frequent request stops and most of the routes pass through
the old city area, primarily because of the demand. The pilot
study of BRTS in Bhopal was conducted by BCLL & BMC.

Land Use: The various land use classification categories in
the Development Plan 1994-2005 were industries,
residences, commerce, schools, roads etc in order to
understand the quantum of land utilization for various uses,
their functional interrelationship, environmental problems
etc.

4 Identified BRTS Corridors to be Developed under Phase-I
are: Corridor 1-Bairagarh to Misrod (23 km), Corridor 2Roshapura to ORR (14km), Corridor 3- Board Office to
Raisen Road (2.94 km), Bharat Talkies to Tajul Masajid
(3.33 km) All Corridors put together account for a total
length of 44kms. Corridor 3 and 4 are only road links to
connect Corridors 1 and 2. For operational purpose, it can be
safely assumed to have only two Corridors i.e.: Corridor 1
Length (23.5 + 2.9) 26.4kms say 27kms, Corridor 2 Length
(14.6 + 2.9) 17.5kms say 18kms

The Bhopal Development Plan 2005 was planned for
population of 25 lakhs. The Population of Bhopal was not
grown up to the expected growth then, it was estimated that
in 2005 Bhopal had a population of approximately 17 lakhs.
The BDP predicted around 17,500 hectares of developed area
till 2005 but the actual developed area was 10,400 hectares.
Table-1
Existing and Proposed Land Use, Source: BDP 2005

A Detailed Engineering Study of identified Corridors by
BCEOM French Consultant is under progress.
The major elements of BRTS are running ways, stations,
vehicles, fare collection, ITS, Service and operations plan.
The system performance will have travel time savings,
reliability, safety & security, capacity, identity & image,
reduction in congestion on road.
Design features: Length of the platform would be 25 metres
and with 3.5 metres. The pavement will be flexible and
location of bus way would be at central median, the width of
bus way will be around 3.3 to 3.5 metre. The bus stop would
mostly be located near intersection. The bus lanes will be
segregated up to ROW of 30 metres and above. The running
way will be a combination of partially open and partially
closed system.

Description of the Project: Bhopal depends mainly on
public transport with 48% share of passenger trips, this
includes standard buses, mini buses and tempos (magic).
There are about 3,00,000 two wheelers and 50, 000 cars that
make the private mode contribute 37.4% of passenger trips
to the transportation system of the city.
Intermediate public transport has autos and taxis and share
about 5.7% of the passenger trips and non motorized vehicle
such as cycles share 8.3% of the same. On an average the
route length is about 27km. The average journey time is 1
hour 35 minutes for boarding and alighting, with an average
travel speed of 45km/hr. And the net travel time comes out to
be 40 minutes.

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Details: With 30m ≥ RoW - it will be a partially closed
system. With 24-30m RoW - it will be an open system (bus
lane priority with Road Marking only). With 20-24m RoW it will be partially open system (bus lane priority with Road
Marking). With <20m RoW - there will be one-way system.
Wherever 45m RoW is available, service lanes for access and
MVs/Cycles would be provided.
Other Features: Bus stands at an average distance of 500m
and as per Boarding-Alighting survey results (demand).
Provision of pedestrian actuated signals at bus stop and
automatic signalling at intersections. There will be
aesthetically designed buses, with features like right side
wide door hydraulically operated by driver and front left
hand emergency door. Also, height of bus floor and platform
to be at same level.

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Vol. 1 (ISC-2011), 166-171 (2012)
Res. J. Recent Sci.

Figure-1
BRTS Route Map, Source: BMC, Bhopal
The issues that came up after the study by BCEOM were:
Road widths are not uniform throughout the Corridors. On
street parking need to be restrict along the BRTS corridors. A
comprehensive Parking Policy to be evolved. Additional
Demand on BRTS corridors to be created through:
Restricting other competing modes of transport (including
individual private modes). By attracting people to BRTS
with world class services.
Assesment of Potential Impacts: The impact of this project
can be seen on three stages: i. the design stage, ii.
construction stage, iii. operational stage.

pollution, Reduction in traffic congestion, Noise and
vibration reduction, etc.
Negative impacts on components of environment: Design
Stage: Removal of Structures, Removal of trees and
vegetation, Land Acquisition
Construction Stage: Earth works including quarrying,
Laying of pavement, Vehicle & Machine operation and
maintenance, Asphalt and crusher plants, sanitation and
waste (Labour campus)
Operational Stage: Vehicles Operation and Emission

Positive Impacts: Time saving Benefits to transit users, Fuel
Savings from public transport operations, Reduction in air

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Research Journal of Recent Sciences ____________________________________________________________ ISSN 2277-2502
Vol. 1 (ISC-2011), 166-171 (2012)
Res. J. Recent Sci.
Impact on Soil:
Design Stage
 Loss of useful soil
 Generation of debris
 Wearing away of top soil

Construction Stage

Operational Stage

 Erosion of top soil
 Contamination by lubricants and
fuel
 Compaction of soil
 Contamination from wastes

 Spill from accidents
 Deposition of lead

Impact on Air:
Design Stage
 Dust generation during dismantling
 Reduced buffering of air and noise
pollution,
 Hotter and drier microclimate

Construction Stage

Operational Stage






 Noise
 Dust
 Pollution

Dust generation
Asphalt odour
Noise, dust, pollution
Odour/ smoke

Impact on Water:
Design Stage


Construction Stage



Siltation due to loose earth






Impact on Flora:
Design Stage


Loss of Biomass

Impact on Fauna:
Design Stage



Disturbance
Loss of Habitat

Disturbance
Poaching

Climate: There are no adverse effects on climatic conditions
such as temperature; wind etc. microclimate may get affected
due to removal of vegetation and addition of road surface.
There may be a temperature difference in the areas adjacent
to road surface and other areas due to reduction in roadside
plantation.
Physiography: BRTS Project may alter the local
physiography as well as the drainage pattern. Minor cut-and-

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Spill contamination by
fuel,
lubricants
and
washing of vehicles

Operational Stage

Loss of ground for vegetation
Removal of vegetation
Lowered productivity use as
fuel wood

Construction Stage





Change of drainage
Stagnant water pools in
quarries.
Decrease of ground water
recharge area
Contamination by fuel and
lubricants
Contamination by asphalt
leakage
Contamination from overuse
waste

Construction Stage




Operational Stage




Impact of pollution on
vegetation
Toxicity of vegetation.

Operational Stage


Collision with traffic

fills are designed to improve the road geometry and parallel
cross structure is added to improve drainage. These changes
are minor as there will be a slight change in height and width
of the road cross-section.
Drainage: There is no alteration of existing drainage system
but there will be slight changes in drainage characteristics
because of topographical changes. This project can only have
a negative impact when the slopes created for the

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Research Journal of Recent Sciences ____________________________________________________________ ISSN 2277-2502
Vol. 1 (ISC-2011), 166-171 (2012)
Res. J. Recent Sci.
improvement of road geometry are not re-vegetated or
stabilized.
Ambient Noise: Noise, aptly defined as unwanted sound is
one of the most undesirable consequences of road
development. Crushing plants and asphalt production plants
produce high noise levels, 90-100 dBA. Movement of
vehicles, unloading of construction materials, construction
activities are some of the sources during construction phase
whereas heavy traffic adds to the noise pollution during
operation phase. Average noise levels increase from 1 to 2
dB for each 10km per hour increase in average traffic speed.
Social Impacts: As with other indicators, the social impacts
of a BRTS will depend on how the system is designed, some
of these impacts are stated below:
Property expropriation and resettlement: Usually the
greatest concern in social appraisal of infrastructure projects
is with property expropriation and involuntary resettlement.
Normally BRT systems will be designed in such a way as to
minimise involuntary resettlement, and in fact BRTS
frequently make it possible for municipalities to put off or
stop all together new road projects which would have much
higher levels of involuntary resettlement.
Displacement of Para-Transit workers: Of much greater
concern with BRTS is what will happen to the former para
transit operators and the families that rely on them for
income. In most BRTS, negotiations with existing bus
operators have been tense. Certainly, if all the most lucrative
public transport routes in a major city are taken away from
local para-transit operators who own their own vehicles and
these routes are given to a different corporation. The former
para transit drivers who have put their life savings into their
minibuses, now are holding a worthless asset. Such a
decision would no doubt lead to significant social upheaval.
System Sociability: Public transport systems can also
provide one of the few places in a city where all social
groups are able to meet and interact. An affordable and highquality system can attract customers from low income,
middle income and high income sectors. This role as a
common public good can be quite healthy in creating
understanding and easing tensions between social groups.
The new system may also mean that persons who previously
had no travel options now can visit the entire city.
Safety: The separation of public transport vehicles from
mixed traffic and the improvements to pedestrian crossings
and traffic signalisation are measures typically employed to
make a new BRT operate efficiently. These same measures
also tend to produce significant safety benefits. Thus
reductions in vehicle accidents and pedestrian, accidents
often accompany the implementation of a new system.

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Suggested Mitigation Measures: Development of site for
proposed BRTS routes to a certain extent, create inevitable
impacts mainly during construction phase. Some mitigation
measures are suggested below to reduce these impacts:
Design Stage: Plans should be made such that minimum
vegetation is removed. Excavation should be avoided during
monsoon to reduce soil erosion. Rainwater harvesting system
should be proposed to reduce water runoff.
Some major social impacts like displacement of Para-Transit
workers could be avoided by negotiation and compromise to
ensure that at least some existing operators enjoy the benefits
of the new system, while at the same time not holding the
public interest hostage to the demands of these private
interests.
Construction Stage: Soil contamination by oil/grease
should be prevented by using leak proof containers for
storage and transportation of oil/grease and wash off from
the oil/grease handling area shall be drained through
impervious drains and treated appropriately before disposal.
As majority of waste generated consist of concrete and
masonry, recycling of this waste by conversion to aggregate
can offer benefits of reduced landfill space and reduced
extraction of raw material for new construction activity.
Recycled aggregate can also be used as a sub base for road
construction. Domestic waste generated from labour camps
should be collected and composted on site along with the
biomass from the land clearing activities. The noncompostable and non-recyclable portion of the waste should
be collected and transported to the nearest identified landfill
site. Noise prone activities could be restricted to the extent
possible during night.
Operational Stage: Bare areas should be re-vegetated after
the construction stage. Greenbelt should be proposed to
increase vegetation. Use of organic fertilizer should be
maximised for landscaping and greenbelt development.
Restriction of speed should also be imposed to reduce
emission rate. Regular maintenance of the vehicle should be
made mandatory.

Conclusion
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study was done to
provide information on the green lush surroundings of
Bhopal city and the extent of environmental impact likely to
arise on account of proposed Bus based Rapid Transit
System (BRTS) on the environment and livelihoods of
people consequently.
Analysing the characteristics of the city in terms of climate,
socio economic activities, land use, network and
connectivity, it was easily seen that the city enjoys a
moderate climate, being centrally located it is well connected

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Vol. 1 (ISC-2011), 166-171 (2012)
Res. J. Recent Sci.
to all the regions, and being a state capital a large number of
people are engaged in administrative activities, about 47% of
the total land-use belongs to residential area, and that of
transportation is 15%.
Talking about the project, as 48% of the trips depend on
public transportation, the proposed BRTS is divided among 4
different corridors; all the corridors put together account for
a total length of 44kms. All in all, the project will not only be
time saving, fuel saving, but will also reduce traffic
congestion and noise pollution. But as every job has its pros
and cons, the project comes up with problems like, land
acquisition and removal of green cover.
The suggested measures from our side are that plans should
be made such that minimum vegetation is removed, for every
amount of removed vegetation, new green belt should be
proposed. Avoiding excavation during monsoon and noise
prone activities during night will be of great relief to the city
dwellers. Lastly, restriction of speed should also be imposed
to reduce emission rate. Regular maintenance of the vehicle
should be made mandatory.

4.

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5.

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Environmental Impact Assessment (2006)

6.

Mehta & Mehta Associates for BMC
JNNURM, City Development Plan (2005)

7.

Bhopal Municipal Corporation, Bus Rapid Transit
System in Bhopal (2011)

8.

Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Ltd.,
Delhi BRT System-Survey Report (2008)

9.

Jay S., Jones C., Slinn P. and Wood C.,
Environmental Impact Assessment: Retrospect and
Prospect Environmental Impact Assessment Review,
27, 287-300 (2007)

10.

Lenzen M., Murray, S., Korte, B., Dey, C.,
Environmental impact assessment including indirect
effects – a case study using input-output analysis,
Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 23, 263282 (2003)

11.

Shepherd
A. and Ortolano L., Strategic
environmental assessment for sustainable urban
development, Environmental Impact Assessment
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12.

Fernandes J., EIA procedure, Landscape ecology and
conservation management - Evaluation of alternatives
in a highway EIA process, Environmental Impact
Assessment Review, 20, 665-680 (2000)

References
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Aarti B., Manish G., Rahul M., Rakesh K., Ravi S.
and Sachin S., Efficiency of Bus Rapid Transit System
in Pune, Kohinoor Business School, Khandala (2010)

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