New Delhi: Relaxations given in Master Plan of Delhi 2047 for land pooling should also provide a framework for civic services and infrastructure development alongside housing, experts said Thursday.Under the plan, the minimum area required for the development of a sector has been reduced to 20 hectares from the earlier framework, in which it ranged from 250 to 300 hectares.The experts cautioned such policies should not become merely a “land game” for Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and that essential services, such as public transport, water supply, waste management, roads and sewage treatment plants (STPs), should be planned.“While the refinement of the policy based on experience is natural, the critical question is whether adequate regulations are in place to ensure that land use, infrastructure and utilities are developed together,” said Jagan Shah, former director of National Institute of Urban Affairs, who led the preparation of the draft MPD 2041.He added, “This becomes even more important with unevenly sized sectors. A 20-hectare and a 100-hectare sector will have different needs. Another critical issue is ensuring public transport and planning for logistics transport.”Sabyasachi Das, former DDA planning commissioner who was involved in the preparation of MPD 2041 for a year, said, “We expect the new plan to provide practical, on-ground solutions. For instance, unless Delhi Development Act is amended, it would be difficult to form a consortium if even one landowner in the middle of a contiguous parcel refuses to transfer ownership or if a landowner whose plot is next to a proposed road refuses to part with it,” he said.The experts welcomed the proposal to permit farmhouses and institutions in low-density areas, but cautioned against allowing warehouses in such zones as they could attract many trucks and heavy commercial vehicles.DPCC president Devender Yadav alleged that MPD 2047 seems to favour the builder lobby and will put more pressure on the already stressed-out civic infrastructure, as the focus is on unlocking more land parcels for development without addressing issues like depleting green cover, air and water pollution, water supply and drainage.
