Draft Master Plan for Delhi (MPD) 2041

In News

Recently, the draft Master Plan for Delhi (MPD) 2041 was placed in the public domain for inviting suggestions and objections from stakeholders.

• The Delhi Development Authority is the anchor agency for the master plan.

Major Highlights of Plan

• Focus areas: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 Master Plan will be able to fulfill various provisions of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) like SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), SDG 14 (Life below water) and SDG 15 (Life on land).

• Decentralised workspaces: Decentralised workspaces will be promoted in the form of co-working spaces, shared workspaces within slum rehabilitation projects, support for home-based work, and more. 
  • The plan provides adequate space norms and facilities for supporting informal economies.

• Area-based improvement approach : An area-based improvement approach will be adopted for revitalising the commercial and socio-cultural hubs of the city, including areas like Connaught Place, Mandi House, Pragati Maidan and Shahjahanabad (Walled City).

• Connectivity and transport:: A Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) shall be prepared for Delhi to achieve systematic integration across all levels and modes of urban transport.

• The master plan also proposes green mobility corridors, exclusive pedestrian and cycling pathways along natural drains and river Yamuna as city-level dedicated corridors.
• State-of-the-art surveillance technology can be employed to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, adherence to traffic rules and prevention of vandalism of street furniture.
• Streets shall be designed to ensure equitable distribution of road space and safe mobility for users of all ages and abilities.

     Image Courtesy :HT

• Infrastructure :It also stresses the need for better designed buildings in order to reduce the dependence on mechanical ventilation systems, which pose a threat during airborne epidemics, such as the coronavirus.
  • The draft also highlights the enhancement of a “Green-Blue Infrastructure” by taking into account the Aravali ridge, the Yamuna, forests, wetlands, parks and other assets.
• Environment: The plan envisions to minimize vehicular pollution through key strategies, including migration to greener fuels for public transport, adoption of mix-use transit-oriented development (also known as TOD), and improvement of water quality.

• Energy generating tiles may be used for footpaths and paved areas. 
  • The energy, coupled with solar energy, can be used to power streetlights as well as provide charging points for mobiles and other electronic gadgets near seating or resting spots.
  • Polluting industries will not be permitted to operate within Delhi and the list of such industries will be periodically updated by the Delhi government and DDA.

• Topographical vulnerability : 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. 
  • It suggests periodic safety audits for structural safety and the formation of a Delhi Disaster Response Force. It also says steps should be taken to build resilience for natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods.

• It proposes a regeneration scheme for high-risk zones.

• Heritage assets :The draft plan also incorporates Delhi’s heritage assets.
  •  The city is a cultural capital and has several heritage assets. 
  • The assets’ preservation and their adaptive reuse are to be promoted for preventing degradation as well as loss of historic assets and fabric.

• Economic potential: Delhi must fully realise its niche role and potential as an economic hub. Specialty health and higher education are focus areas. 
  • Cleaner production, startups, innovation and cyber economies have to be promoted by providing a variety of flexible and shared spaces to entrepreneurs in addition to opportunities and good working conditions. 
  • Niche sectors such as specialty health, higher education, tourism and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), modern logistics and specialised trade also need to be promoted.

Significance 

• The master plan is one of the key instruments that facilitates Delhi’s development. It is a ‘strategic’ and ‘enabling’ framework to guide the growth of the city .
• It seeks to make the city liveable and safe, provide better economic opportunities, offer housing for all with emphasis on affordable and rental accommodation. 

Challenges

• Lack of access to basic services of water and sanitation and other facilities.
• Other issues included legality of some of the properties, narrow access roads, congestion, conflicts between commercial and residential uses, quality of drinking water and water logging.
• Vulnerability and risks related to disasters such as fire, earthquakes, etc.

Way Forward

• Coordination and cooperation among the various development agencies with the active involvement of the Delhi Government.
• Issues like waste dumping, congestion, drainage issues need to be addressed with the proper regulation.

Source:TH