In its draft Regional Plan-2041, the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) proposes several measures for the region’s long-term sustainability, which include restricting the National Capital Region (NCR) to a 100-kilometer radial distance around Rajghat in Delhi and reducing transit time between NCR cities to 30 minutes.
The NCRPB has extended the deadline for public comment on the draft plan to January 7.
The NCR covers 55,083 square kilometres and comprises Delhi as well as 24 districts from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
Since 2005, it has grown by over 20,000 square kilometres. As per the Regional Plan-2041, the current NCR is larger than states like Punjab, Uttarakhand, Kerala, and Sikkim.
City Plan
Authorities from the panel emphasised that places like Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Sonipat, and some sections of Meerut will remain part of the National Capital Region because they fall within the 100-kilometer radius.
Officials indicated that once the new regional integration plan is implemented, the NCR will resemble a circle with twists and protrusions, as well as linear corridors that emerge from the circle like spikes.
Regions beyond 100 kilometers will be outside of the NCR, however if a tehsil falls partially within the new NCR line, the corresponding state will decide whether the town will join the NCR or continue outside of it.
The lot of locations across Uttar Pradesh that are currently part of the NCR would not alter, according to the regional plan.
However, Rajasthan has yet to determine the territory to be included in the NCR, while the Haryana government has provided preliminary figures, reducing the entire NCR area (25,327 sq km) to 10, 546 sq km.
Delineation of NCR
A confined region is required to enable planned growth of the region, according to a senior planning board official who did not want to be identified.
The NCRPB endorsed a suggestion to restrict the National Capital Region to a 100-kilometer radius around Rajghat in Delhi in principle in October. the official added,
“All notified cities/ townships together through a corridor of 1km on each side of connected expressways/national highways/state highways/the Regional Rapid Transit System would be included beyond the 100km radius and up to the existing NCR limit”
While the demarcation process is still ongoing, the NCRBP has stated that the redrawn limits will take effect after the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has given its approval.
Transport and mobility
The draft plan suggests strengthening regional transportation connectivity to solve the challenge of increased automotive traffic.
According to the proposal, commuters in the region suffer substantial challenges such as a lack of suitable regional public transportation and low frequency, a lack of system integration, and several interchanges. the proposal said
“It is vital to reduce journey times throughout NCR regions… Delhi ought to have 30-minute rapid rail linkage with significant NCR cities”
Owing to the closing of statewide frontiers by NCR states last year due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, the plan suggests,
“Steps shall be taken to prevent the closure of interstate borders by NCR states, save in emergency cases such as crime control, etc.”
It also envisions, among other things, the construction of an elevated or at-grade Outer Ring Road parallel to Delhi’s existing outer ring road, as well as the establishment of integrated multimodal transit hubs.
“The design focuses on multipurpose infrastructures, including freight,”
said Sewa Ram, a professor of transportation planning at the School of Planning and Architecture.
There is a demand for multimodal integrated transport hubs in the NCR as mass transit systems such as RRTS are being built.”
The draft plan called for transit-oriented growth along the whole main transportation routes, which would allow for a larger floor-area ratio, mixed-use construction in older cities, and vertical growth.
