Ghaziabad: With its board meeting scheduled for Friday, GDA is ready with the draft master plan for 2031, incorporating suggestions made by the Meerut divisional commissioner during the last meeting.
This is the third time that GDA is getting ready to present the plan. In August, the draft plan was rejected because GDA had not incorporated a suggestion by NCR transport corporation to change the category of the land around Duhai RapidX station-cum-depot from agriculture to mixed-use under the UP Transit-Oriented Development Policy, 2022.
As per the state government’s policy, areas within a 1.5 km radius of the RapidX corridor come under the TOD zone and are also to be considered ‘influence zones’.
Areas within a 500-metre radius of intra-city mass transit projects like metro, neo metro, metro lite, and bus rapid transit system (BRTS) also fall under the TOD zone.
“The draft master plan tabled in the August board meeting did not include RapidX Duhai station-cum-depot in the TOD zone, so, Meerut divisional commissioner Selva Kumari J, in keeping with the TOD policy, sent it back to the drawing boards,” a GDA official said.
Subsequently, GDA held a meeting with DDF Consultant — the firm hired by the development authority to prepare the draft master plan — and asked it to make the necessary changes in the draft.
“A few days ago, the consultant submitted the revised draft and now it is ready to be tabled before the board on Friday,” the official said.
The revised master plan draft earmarks two special development areas (SDAs) — 250 hectares of land near Guldhar and 400 hectares around Duhai along DME that will emerge as new townships. It also identifies influence zones along the seven stations — Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Duhai, Muradnagar, Modinagar South and Modinagar North — on the 17-km priority section of the RapidX corridor.
According to GDA, demand for residential land along the RapidX corridor, the Delhi-Meerut and Eastern Peripheral expressways will increase in the coming years. Keeping the projection in mind, the land use has been altered to the ‘mixed’ category for areas within a 1.5km radius.
The plan period is 10 years and will include areas like Loni, Dasna, Modinagar and Muradnagar. The previous Master Plan 2021 had a 20-year plan period.
KDA seeks suggestions on TOD zone
Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) has decided to invite objections and suggestions from citizens regarding the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) zone in Kanpur. This is in accordance with government instructions, and the TOD zone will include the area within 500 meters on both sides of the central line in the direction of the transit project for the metro line. Furthermore, the article discusses the divisional commissioner of Kanpur directing a consultant team to prepare a draft of Vision Kanpur@2047, and the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority's decision to abstain from granting development permissions in certain areas designated as knowledge institute zones. Lastly, it mentions the criticism faced by the Uttarakhand government for keeping reports on the Joshimath subsidence secret, and the recommendation to declare it a no-new construction zone.
RapidX-metro link from Noida back on track
The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) is reviving a proposal to connect the RapidX corridor in Ghaziabad with the Blue and Red lines of the metro. The GDA is planning to take a loan from the NCR Planning Board for the corridor, and a fresh detailed project report will be commissioned to the DMRC. The funding has been an impediment in the past, but the GDA plans to seek a loan of about Rs 500 crore from the NCR Planning Board. The proposed extension will bridge the gap between the Sahibabad station and Vaishali station.
Plan nods in knowledge zone paused
The Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (Auda) has decided to abstain from granting development permissions for commercial and residential projects in designated knowledge institute zones. These zones were initially intended for the construction of educational institutions and universities. The decision comes in response to complaints that the original purpose of these zones was not being adhered to, with residential and commercial constructions taking place instead. The state urban development department is expected to make amendments to the development norms in these zones. This decision has raised concerns among developers and landowners, while educationists and activists have welcomed it.
