Delhi is all set to undergo a major renovation. A vibrant economy, greener environment, rejuvenation of the city’s heritage areas, enhance mobility promoting cleaner fuels are among the key areas enclosed in the draft Master Plan of Delhi 2041 (MPD).
The MPD has been made available on the Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) official website and public suggestions, objections have been invited.
As per the draft plan, the main focus areas are water, environment, critical resources, housing, mobility, built environment and public places, vulnerability, economic potential, heritage assets and monitoring and evaluation.
The draft plan, in the area of environment, envisions to minimise vehicular pollution through key strategies, including migration to greener fuels for public transport, adoption of mix-use transit-oriented development (TOD), and improvement of water quality, which is to be taken for the Yamuna river as well as various lakes, natural drains and baolis.
It also highlights Delhi’s topographical vulnerability as the national capital falls in seismic zone four and is at high risk of flooding, earthquake and incidents of fire outbreaks. The draft plan also includes Delhi’s heritage assets.
As per the draft, assets’ preservation and their adaptive reuse are to be promoted for preventing degradation as well as loss of historic assets and fabric.
Moreover, the draft plan also includes fostering night-time economy as part of the ‘24-hour city’ plan, revitalising Delhi’s commercial core including Connaught Place, as well as shifting wholesale activities from the walled city.
In a move to attract tourists and locals, it calls for identifying nodes and circuits in Delhi for continuing work, cultural activity as well as entertainment at night. The move will improve economic yield by extending utilisation of work spaces, as well as safety in the city by promoting a vibrant night life.
It has also laid special emphasis on development of green belt as well as on increasing interaction of people with the city’s green and blue assets.
While Yamuna river flows from the city’s northern part through east and southeast into the state of Uttar Pradesh, by the time it exits, it can barely be called a river with hardly any fresh water flowing in it.
A clear boundary of the buffer zone near the river has been laid by the draft and how to develop it.
As per the plan, green buffer of 300 mtr width will be maintained wherever feasible along the entire edge of the river. Also, for 25-30 mtr from the river edge, wild grassing or other suitable ground-cover vegetation will be planted and beyond this grass belt, trees may be planted.
Apart from cleaning the river and reviving the dying water bodies, DDA is also looking to create green mobility corridors for utilisation as pedestrian walkways, as well as cycle tracks along with stormwater drains in the city.
As per the proposals in the draft Master Plan, the demand for potable water for domestic utilisation needs to be rationalised and progressively reduced to 50 GPCD from 60 GPCD in order to make Delhi water secure.