Delhi Master Plan 2021 - Details

The Master Plan 2021 is the blueprint for continuing the ongoing process of accommodating developmental and growth patterns in the city and if required, applies new ways and strategic initiatives to further the process of planning in long and short term period of time. The announcement of Master Plan 2021 invited considerable amount of reviews, opinions, counterviews from all walks of life. The Master Plan 2021 has been appreciated for numerous proposals specially for asserting certain path breaking proposals. However it was reprehended on various grounds by eminent town planners, environmentalists and other distinguished members of civil society. Before delineating all these aspects it is very imperative as well interesting to know about the previous plans which laid the ground for the Master Plan 2021.

Contrary to the widely cherished notion, that, the Master Plan basically is concerned with the guidelines for economic activities and settlements to be location specific, it is a framework for outlining the present dynamics of growth and its integration with the anticipated patterns of development. In short, the Master Plan provides a basis for review for re-assessment and modification of existing policies and directing location is just an aspect of it.

However, the previous Master Plans for Delhi failed to provide a strong foundation for future accommodations. The actual crux of the present problem has been the fact that no review was done of earlier plans thus, making its proposals redundant. In fact the substantial presence of shops in the residential areas dates back to the recommendations of Master Plan 1961 which clearly delineated that certain number of commercial outlets should be present in the residential areas. And in the absence of clear demarcation by zonal developmental plans it was very obvious that commercial outlets began to mushroom according to the local needs.

With commercial advancements taking place at an alarming rate, Delhi has undergone number of changes. In fact there has a been a substantial change in the outlook of policy makers as well with their attitude turning towards globalization and thus encouraging private commercial units. Traffic and population dynamics have aggrandized like never before when other resources at disposal are running extinct. However, to what extent the Master Plan 2021 will address these issues, is a question which only its effective implementation can answer.

The Master Plan 2021 brought respite to many as it also caused disappointment to many sections of the society. On a positive note it did bring smiles on the faces of those traders who were targeted during the sealing and anti-demolition drive. The Master Plan 2021 Delhi has mentioned a striking reference for the developing the Walled City. The basic understanding of the Master Plan has been that the area that makes up the Walled City and its extensions, Karol Bagh and the contiguous area in between, have been accorded special status in Master Plan 2021, and the proposals of the plan understand which recognizes that the area cannot be developed on the basis of existing regulations given in the Development Code.

Vertical Growth:

The Master Plan aspires to initiate vertical development of the city and has paid cognizance to the fact the present issue of paucity of land can be best addressed by raising the "floor area ratio" (FAR).Accordingly, now houses will be allowed to go up to four floors and thus now Delhi will attain vertical growth. This concept implies that properties irrespective of them being, residential, commercial or educational, will be permitted to grow vertically. The Master Plan 2021 has introduced the concept of 'incentives-oriented redevelopment' where the permission to construct extra floors acts as an incentive for residents to voluntarily opt for redevelopment. Through this system, the Master Plan indirectly aims to accelerate the urban renewal of the city targeting the old, dilapidated and unplanned structures. However for such rising to be accepted, certain prerequisites have been pointed out. The builders and developers need to install sewage treatment plants so as not to choke the existing ones. Also effective garbage wastage pathway has to be implemented for the floor rise has to be sanctioned. The new modified construction plan should however accord significance to community needs, the design's environmental impact and make provision for safe and easy traffic and parking.

Friendly City:

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will for the first time develop multi-purpose parks. They will be developed exclusively for functions and marriages in response to the paucity of venues in the city. According to the lay man's understanding, the Master Plan 2021 aims to make the capital people-friendly and plans to promote sports activity. To encourage easy access, pedestrian and cycle tracks have been suggested so that community and existing sports facilities can be made accessible. The Master plan has very much innovatively laid emphasis on tactile paths so to enable the visually impaired and other physically challenged move around at ease. The Master Plan has envisaged a detail policy for new school sites. The Master Plan 2021 has made it mandatory that new school sites are to be developed adjacent to parks and playgrounds. This is a new specification in the MPD-2021, keeping in mind the scarcity of space in the city, maintaining that each school must have a playground. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has also earlier proposed in a stand-alone proposal to the Ministry that the actual plot size of schools be reduced in a way that more than one school could share a common playground/park.

Mixed Land Use:

The Master Plan states that areas which the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had notified can now be used for mixed land use - that is, areas where housing and commercial units can exist side by side. Besides, small shops of daily needs have been permitted in residential areas. The plan also said that there would be no height restrictions for group housing schemes. Also small shops for daily needs, nursing homes and clinics as well as commercial use of industrial plots in residential areas have been permitted, although only after acquiring permission, from the concerned authorities. Authorized educational institutions like schools, operating in residential areas are a major beneficiary. Under the mixed land use, they will not be sealed for the next three years but coaching institutes built over 250 square meters of land will have to be closed. All nursing homes have been regularized while play schools will be allowed to run only on the ground floor. Accordingly, it has instructed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to prepare a detailed report on the ongoing commercial activity and submit it in the given time frame. This Master Plan has assigned considerable importance to socio-economic variable by understanding the demographic dynamics. There has been an impressive focus on children in the city as their population is estimated to touch 49 lakh by the year 2021.Thus the plan has laid down guidelines to construct anganbaris, recreational centers, and rehabilitation facilities for mentally and physically challenged Accordingly, it has instructed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to prepare a detailed report on the ongoing commercial activity and submit it in the given time frame. This Master Plan has assigned considerable importance to socio-economic variable by understanding the demographic dynamics. Not just commercial activity in residential areas has been sanctioned but even professionals operating from residential premises have been given a nod to continue with their practice. In fact the list of such professionals who can operate from residential premises has been expanded. It now includes services of Lawyer, Doctor, Architect, Chartered Accountant, Engineer, Company Secretary, Cost and Works Accountant, Town Planner, Media Professionals, Documentary Film Makers.

Thus one can really claim that the Master Plan 2021 has brought forth certain innovative proposals which if implemented in its real sense, can transform the Capital considerably.