NEW DELHI: The Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena approved the draft Master Plan 2041 for Delhi in a meeting of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Tuesday, February 28.
Delhi LG, also the chairman of the DDA, also took some major decisions, including the relaxation in the guidelines regarding identification of female beneficiaries of in-situ rehabilitation under the ‘Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makan’ programme.
LG informed about key elements of the draft plan, including inclusiveness, environmental sustainability, green economy, infrastructure including housing for all, innovative solutions such as Transit Oriented Development (TOD) hubs, land pooling, green area development and rejuvenation and regeneration of the capital city.
Later the Master Plan prepared by DDA and a statutory document facilitating Delhi’s development by assessing the present condition and guiding the desired development will be forwarded to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India for the final approval and notification of the same.
The draft plan has been formulated after extensive citizens and stakeholder engagement, including government departments, local bodies, RWAs, traders, market associations, NGOs, Professionals, experts and individuals.
The draft plan pursues three goals, including making Delhi an environmentally sustainable city to provide a healthy environment to the citizen, resilient to the after-effects of climate change and disasters; to develop a future-ready city that provides quality, affordable and safe living environments with efficient services and green mobility; and to make Delhi a dynamic place for economic, creative and cultural development.
The draft document has been framed in such a way that it is easy to read and understood by the general public and stakeholders in comprehending the implementation of policies of the draft master plan. It prioritises the development of green-blue assets, including biodiversity parks, integrated floodplain planning, and construction of walking and cycling trails, along with the rejuvenation of drain buffers and water bodies. Buildings too will be asked to meet the Green-Blue Factor (GBF) conditions for sustainable development practices. Apart from that, the plan also proposes the rejuvenation of Yamuna and its floodplain by formulating a Comprehensive River Development Plan, along with making Delhi climate resilient and capable of tackling pollution.