A huge influx of migrants, increasing population and the lack of urban infrastructure are some of the key problems facing Delhi, according to the Ministry of Urban Development which is planning to work with international town planners on the Delhi Master Plan 2041.
“The government is worried about the crumbling infrastructure and pollution levels in the city. Despite so many deliberations with think tanks, there is still no concrete solution on the issue, which is a matter of great concern. The government is planning to rope in international urban planners who can provide a roadmap and vision for the city for next the 50 years,” a senior urban development minister said.
‘Master Plan for Delhi 2041’ is expected to take care of the capital’s needs for the next 20 years, starting 2021. The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), an autonomous research and advisory body under the Union housing and urban affairs ministry, is working on the plan. And the issue of unauthorised colonies is the first one it has taken up.
“The MPD-2041 will address the issue of unauthorised colonies and how we can redevelop them to provide basic amenities such as schools, hospital, etc. We have started a discussion on the matter,” Jagan Shah, director, National Institute of Urban Affairs said. NIUA is also planning to launch an app to reach out to the public and get feedback.
According to Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog, increasing population is going to be problematic for cities in general, and for metros like Delhi and Mumbai in particular.
“There is going to be huge migration from smaller cities to the big cities. It will certainly put stress on the existing infrastructure, resources like water, land and other things. This is both an opportunity as well as a challenge for city planners. If Delhi wants to sustain the influx of migrating populations, the city must grow vertically and should be well connected to satellite towns,” Kant added.
Haryana to develop five new cities
The Haryana government has initiated the process to prepare a master plan for a new city in Faridabad district
The city will be spread over an area of 56,000 hectares, spilling onto to rural Faridabad.
As yet unnamed, it will be developed under the state government’s Panchgram plan which envisages the development of five new cities along the Kundli-Manesar Expressway.
However, there has been no time frame set so far by the government for the completion of the proposed project