Gross negligence during road repair work by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department led to massive flooding in the basement of the Jyoti Talkies Complex on Wednesday. The incident, caused by a ruptured pipeline, damaged electronic goods, mobile accessories, and apparel worth an estimated Rs 5 lakh, triggering a major protest by local traders. The Jyoti Talkies Complex, which houses one of the largest mobile and electronics markets in the MP Nagar area, saw water gushing into over 100 basement shops within an hour. The flooding began around 10 am while ongoing repairs were being conducted on a section of the road that had collapsed in July 2025. Traders reported that what started as a minor leak quickly turned into a deluge after an excavator accidentally struck a main sewage and water pipeline. Within an hour, knee-deep water had accumulated inside the shops. My boutique is in the basement, and we didn’t even get a chance to move the stock. The furniture is ruined, and the clothing inventory is completely soaked,” said Amarjeet Kaur, a local shopkeeper.

 

Other traders dealing in mobile phones and electronic gadgets reported significant losses, stating that a night-time occurrence could have resulted in a total wipeout of their inventory. Traders’ protest paralyses traffic: Outraged by the delay in administrative response, traders shut down their establishments and staged a ‘chakka jam’ at the busy Jyoti Talkies intersection. The blockade on the arterial road leading from MP Nagar to the Board Office caused massive traffic congestion for several hours. Protesting shopkeepers alleged that despite alerting officials as soon as the leakage started, no action was taken for hours. “We demanded immediate water extraction and a permanent solution for the drainage issues in this area. We are also seeking compensation for the heavy financial losses incurred due to this administrative failure,” stated a representative of the traders’ association. Following the protest, a heavy police contingent along with senior officials from the BMC, PWD, and district administration arrived at the scene. ACP Meenal Jain confirmed that the flooding was triggered by accidental damage to the pipeline during drain repair work. The protest was eventually called off after the BMC deployed high-power pumps and motors to drain the basement. Officials have assured the traders that the pipeline will be repaired immediately and that their grievances regarding damages will be looked into.