New Delhi: Emphasising the need to protect the city’s green and blue assets, Master Plan for Delhi (MPD) 2047 proposes a 152km-long park connector covering the Ridge areas, green buffers along major drains and the capital’s periphery, and a 75-100-metre-wide public greenway along the Yamuna, wherever feasible.The plan advocates restricted development in low-density areas and creation of green buffers along drains and the city’s periphery to prevent encroachment. It also proposes expanding green spaces by repurposing underutilised sites and wastelands, including the defunct Rajghat and Badarpur thermal power stations. Transforming them into public green spaces can help address the shortage of accessible open areas while improving the environmental quality of surrounding neighbourhoods, it states.Experts, however, said coining new words would serve little purpose unless their implementation is visible on the ground. Land in Delhi is saturated, including along the drains that are covered illegally, leaving no scope for plantation, they pointed out.According to MPD, “For developing green buffers along drains in low-density areas, the irrigation & flood control department and other agencies concerned shall take up development of greenways connected through pedestrian and cycling paths.” Wetlands and marshes can be developed for bio-swales to capture storm water to encourage groundwater recharge, it adds. “The Sahibi river (Najafgarh drain) may be developed into an eco-tourism hub with a navigable waterway, as per feasibility.”Sections of the buffers may be designed for active public use in the form of parks, and spaces for yoga, active sports, open-air exhibitions, performances, arboretums, community gardens, boating and kiosks to increase local footfall. Heritage trails may also be integrated with the greenways. Defunct govt amenities and other degraded or underutilised sites, even reclaimed land of landfills, can be used for developing greens, MPD states.Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had failed to implement its previous plans to revamp Rajghat thermal station as a museum and a green area. “It’s been over seven years since the plant is fully closed. Plantation and greenery can be done on DDA land, but beyond that, it is impossible. In Dwarka, dialogues were held with villagers to properly utilise a portion of land with their contribution, but it never materialised,” said Sabyasachi Das, a former planning commissioner of DDA.MPD also suggests earmarking planned greens in land pooling areas. “Existing plantations, wetlands, low-lying areas shall preferably be developed as public parks and aquifer recharge ponds to retain the drainage pattern and protect these assets. To prevent flooding, watershed management shall be done,” it states.Plots surrendered by polluting industries that were directed to relocate outside Delhi may also be utilised for developing greens and open spaces.
