New Delhi, Aug. 12 -- The Yamuna floodplain, earlier treated as a single protected planning zone where development was largely restricted, has now been divided into two parts under the Master Plan for Delhi-2047, with a lower degree of protection proposed for a "buffer area" farther from the river, according to officials aware of the plan.

Under the new plan, the O-Zone, which broadly covers the Yamuna and its floodplain, has been divided into O-1 and O-2, HT has learnt. While no construction or development will be permitted in O-1 - which falls within the defined 1-in-25-year floodplain - O-2, the area outside this zone, will allow specified recreational activities, including parks and green spaces, subject to regulations, an official a...