MCDS say layout plans must also be revised
MASTER PLAN As DDA moves to amend the Delhi Master Plan, civic bodies say they will ensure that the laid out rules are followed
NEWDELHI: The municipal corporations of Delhi on Monday said they will wait for the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to roll out the amended provisions of the Master Plan of Delhi to see what role they have to play in its implementation.
Union minister of housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday announced that recommendations by the DDA’S board of enquiry on amendments to master plan of Delhi (MPD) 2021 would be placed before the authority for its consideration on Tuesday.
The DDA is likely to approve a slew of measures such as uniform Floor Area Ratio (FAR), shop-cum-residential plots, permission to use of basements to run businesses and banning pubs or clubs in residential areas to provide relief to city traders facing sealing threat in the national Capital.
Civic officials said their job was to ensure that there are no violations in the laid out rules and that provisions of the Master Plan are implemented properly. They, however, pointed out that for all such amendments to take proper effect, the DDA has to make a revised layout plan for each area/zone. However, it was never done, leading to illegal growth and complications in urban planning.
“As per the norms, after every amendment in the Master Plan is introduced or notification of roads for commercial and mixed land use is made, the DDA or the local body is supposed to prepare a revised layout plan. The plan clarifies the changes made in the use of buildings, need for infrastructure augmentation, proportionate development and fixes the responsibility on agencies to carry out these tasks,” said an MCD official on the condition of anonymity.
“But, no such layout plan has been prepared even after the notification of 2,183 roads in 2006-07, and thus the city is reaching a saturation point now. We are carrying the demolition and sealing drive but the only solution to the problem is to increase the area of the city and shift some businesses to the outskirts,” said the official.
Civic officials said that the sealing drive is being carried on the directions of the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee. They said the future course of action will be decided on the directions of the committee.
In the joint memorandum shared by the residents’ welfare associations with the Union housing minister last week, the residents had questioned if any audit or field survey was conducted by the DDA, MCDS or the ministry to ascertain whether the conditions under which relaxations in MPD-2021 were granted have been implemented since 2006 or not.
“The fact is that not even onefourth of the norms mentioned in the master plan have been implemented so far. The DDA’S zonal plan is still on the drawing board and lack of sufficient number of local shopping complexes lead to rampant unplanned development in city,” said Rajeev Kakria from GK-I RWA.
“We have even questioned the officials if any department has been made responsible to oversee strict implementation of MPD-2021, and be accountable to the Supreme Court, but failed to get any reply,” said another RWA member.