As Bhopal prepares to welcome 2025, citizens reflect on the challenges of the past year, expressing hopes for better employment opportunities, improved infrastructure, and a cleaner, more efficient city in the year ahead.

Ashok, 45, who works for a finance company, says that the year passed by so quickly that he didn’t even realise it.

He says the removal of the BRTS has been the highlight of the year as it helped reduce traffic jams, but there’s nothing particularly memorable from this year.

Intikhab, 30, who works for a car dealership on Hoshangabad Road, believes that car sales in Bhopal have decreased this year. People’s earnings have declined, and there have been significantly fewer car sales. While this is good from an environmental perspective, it does not augur well for his future in the profession.

Twenty-somethings Rohan and Payal, who stepped into matrimony last month, are full of compliments for theatre artist Ashutosh Rana’s performance earlier this year and hope that the city’s cultural scene will continue to host such sterling performances.

Madhav, 48, and his son Anurag, who were returning after having their new Bullet motorcycle blessed at Bhoj Mandir, said that the city should also have fairs like the Gwalior Mela, where buyers of new vehicles get a 50% road tax discount. This would provide relief to people.

Krishna, preparing for the PSC exams, says that coaching institutes in Bhopal are taking advantage of students. They charge arbitrary fees, and after collecting the fees, change the teachers, which creates problems for the students.

Vishnu, who runs a golgappa and chaat stall in the New Market area, says hawkers were repeatedly troubled by the anti-encroachment squad of the municipal corporation. He laments that the civic body has not provided designated spots for them to set up shop.

A group of students pursuing a PG at a government university said that whether the college is public or private, all of them charge hefty fees. However, when it comes to placements, nothing happens, and it feels like a waste.

Ex-serviceman Shivcharan and his wife Sangeeta say that the roads in Bhopal are very dirty. The couple believes that Indore should be named the state capital. Sangeeta adds that on a recent visit to Delhi, she travelled in city buses for free, and now she wants the district administration to offer free travel to women in the state capital as well.

Shaheen, who runs a medical store in Rohit Nagar, congratulates law enforcement on the large haul of MD drugs seized in the state capital. She says that determined government officials can bring down even the biggest mafias in a month.

60-year-old Anwar says that the Ijtema (an Islamic congregation) is a matter of pride for Bhopal. Such a big event is a matter of pride for the state government and its people.

Sanjeev, a farmer, says that the government hasn’t paid attention to farmers this year. They faced difficulties in getting fertilisers and in getting good prices for their crops.

Babita, 35, says that the whole city has been filled with dust and dirt. "Wherever you go, roads are being constructed, and government projects are going on. Those who have to use Hamidia Road spend more than half an hour stuck in traffic daily. In fact, people waste around two hours every day just in traffic."

Shohrab, 34, a product distributor from Lalghati, says that the problem of stray dogs is increasing in the city. Hardly a day goes by without a report of stray dogs attacking people. This is becoming a serious issue for pedestrians, and there should be relief from this menace.

70-year-old Jameel says that while the city is growing, the number of parks is decreasing. Even the existing parks are poorly maintained. He lives in Chinar Fortune City, where two parks are in a bad condition.

Hariom Pandey, a student at Barkatullah University, says, "I passed the 12th grade, and it’s been more than six months, but we still haven’t received our scholarship money. Because of this, I faced difficulties in getting admission to college."

Another student, Ishika, says, "Everything at the university has been delayed. Bad scheduling has resulted in problems for students throughout the year."

Vinod Kumar Kesari says the sanitation standards in the city have witnessed significant improvements. "I believe that in 2025, Bhopal will become number one in cleanliness."

Vikas Yadav laments the condition of the roads. He says that the district administration should focus on the issue to reduce accidents across the state capital.

While Qaid Johar said that he hoped for better government medical facilities in the city, Abhishek Mishra rues that youth from the city have to travel to other states for employment. Mishra says that 2025 will see an enhancement in employment opportunities in the city.