Covid norms to shape Delhi Master Plan 2041

nNEWDELHI:COVID-19 norms, including social distancing and better preparedness to tackle pandemics, will be among the key focus areas of the Capital’s next master plan (Master Plan of Delhi-2041) — a blueprint for the city’s urban development — prepared by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), according to people familiar with the matter.

DDA has asked the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), which has been tasked to draft MPD-2041, to incorporate postcovid norms while planning for housing, mobility and public spaces in the next master plan. It has also asked NIUA to factor in pandemics and new kind of threats while reworking the city’s disaster management strategy, the people said.

A meeting in this regard was held a few days ago between DDA and NIUA officials, said a senior DDA official involved in the master plan preparation who asked not to be named. “The issues that were discussed included incorporating Covid norms in future planning,” he said.

Until last year, air pollution topped the focus areas for MPD2041. However, after Covid pandemic has changed this perspective. “The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we live; social distancing and protective gear are the new normal now. Now we will have to rethink future development in Delhi keeping in mind the post-covid norms and the emerging situation,” said the DDA official cited above.

NIUA, which has to submit the draft of MPD-2041 by December, is currently in the process to finalise the chapters of MPD-2041, which will govern city’s urban planning for the next two decades.

“DDA has asked us to review the MPD-2041 preparation incorporating lessons emerging from Covid-19 situation. We have to take into account post-covid social norms in public spaces, mobility, workplaces and housing while laying out guidelines for city planning,” NIUA director Hitesh Vaidya said.

Urban development experts say the disaster management strategy in the master plan, so far covered only earthquakes and flood. “Based on the learnings from Covid-19, we should also look into disaster management strategy for Delhi and include this new threat,” Vaidya said.

In the past two decades, Delhi has witnessed outbreaks of dengue, H1N1 (another pandemic in 2010) and now Covid-19. However, the current master plan is silent on pandemics.

“Every city should have a plan to deal with pandemics, we can’t be caught unawares. The master plan should also focus on benchmarking health infrastructure,” said R Srinivas, senior town and country planner, Town and Country Planning Organisation -- an urban planning body under the ministry of housing and urban affairs.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Dr Randeep Guleria said, “The impact pandemics can have on economy and livelihood has become more evident now. Healthcare infrastructure has to be integrated with city planning for better and effective management during pandemics. There is a need to have dedicated setup for outbreak management centres in cities which in normal times can work as regular hospitals.”

Urban planning experts also said that housing, especially for poor, public spaces, and mobility will have to be re-imagined while factoring in the realities of the post-covid world.

Slums and densely populated residential neighbourhoods have emerged as hot spots for Covid-19. “While planning for housing, we will have to ensure density management so that it doesn’t lead to crowding,” Srinivas said.

Anuj Malhotra, mobility expert and knowledge partner to the high-powered committee of the Union ministry of home affairs, said TOD has become extremely relevant in the postcovid scenario because it addresses both mobility and housing concerns. “Planned mixed-use development near Metro stations will automatically reduce the number of trips or the need for travel, since it will bring residential and commercial developments in close proximity…tod is the way forward,” said Malhotra.

DDA officials agreed that fixing mobility would be a challenge with limits being imposed on number of passengers in public transport in view of Covid-19.