India, Aug. 21 -- The Master Plan for Delhi-2047 (MPD-2047) unveiled on Thursday proposes changes across the Capital's commercial areas, transport network, housing, digital infrastructure, environment and civic services, with measures ranging from relocating wholesale and warehousing activities from the Walled City to creating new technology hubs and expanding the Metro network. Walled City, markets and heritage The plan proposes shifting wholesale and warehousing activities from the Walled City, including Chandni Chowk and Sadar Bazaar, to compatible locations outside the city centre to reduce freight congestion. Warehouses of one hectare or more with access to roads of at least 30 metres may also undertake retail activity. Karol Bagh will get an improvement plan with removal of encroachments and unauthorised construction. Connaught Place's existing plot layout will be retained without subdivision, while Mandi House's cultural character will be preserved. Also Read - Delhi launches major MSME capacity drive Advertisement Lutyens' Bungalow Zone and Civil Lines Bungalow Area will retain their low-rise character, large plots, avenues and landscaping, with no high-intensity or Metro-corridor development. The Walled City will be promoted as a cultural and "Active Travel Area", with pedestrianisation, cycling and cycle-sharing, heritage walks, cafes, museums, libraries, craft centres, guest houses and bed-and-breakfast facilities. Five archaeological parks, Mehrauli, Tughlaqabad, Sultan Garhi, Indraprastha and Northern Ridge, will receive conservation plans. Heritage buildings may be adaptively reused, subject to preservation of their character, with a 50-FAR TDR incentive, Heritage Cells and a Heritage Fund. Cultural hubs, night walks, festivals and night markets are also proposed. Also Read - Post-I-Day sweep at Red Fort Metro-led growth and land pooling MPD-2047 proposes expanding Delhi's existing 416-km Metro network by around 279 km, taking it to nearly 695 km. The proposed RRTS network is expected to reach around 383 km, linking Delhi with Ghaziabad, Meerut, Panipat, Karnal and Alwar. Around 200 sq km has been identified for TOD, with higher-density mixed-use development permitted within 500 metres on either side of Metro corridors and within a 500-metre radius of major regional and interstate transit stations. A further 20 sq km along the executed UER-II has been identified as a High Density Corridor for residential, logistics, warehousing and commercial activities. Also Read - CM opens skill, health centres in Moti Nagar Land pooling will cover nearly 200 sq km, potentially generating 12 lakh homes and a 600-km road network. DDA will follow an infrastructure-first approach by developing roads of 30 metres and above. Town Planning Schemes will be used for areas of at least 20 hectares, while a High Density Corridor along UER-II will allow FAR up to 400 along a 250-metre-wide corridor. Sector 8B, Zone P-II, covering Gadi Khasro and Ibrahimpur, has been identified as the first notified sector ready for implementation. Digital infrastructure and AI The plan envisages a digital infrastructure network comprising 5G, optical fibre, smart poles and unified command-and-control centres. AI will be used for traffic forecasting, dynamic public transport fleet and parking management, while real-time commuter information and app-based integration will connect different modes of transport. Also Read - Cong councillor attacked, chair thrown in MCD chairman's office Smart poles in public areas may carry CCTV cameras, sensors and public information systems. A proposed Technology and Innovation Zone will bring together semiconductor development, drone technology, AI, startups, digital governance and advanced computing. The proposed initiatives require an indicative 41-62 acres: 25-30 acres for a semiconductor and electronics ecosystem, 10-20 acres for drone innovation and testing, 5-10 acres for the DISHA Innovation Hub and 1-2 acres for a State Data Centre and AI infrastructure. Data centres will also be permitted in industrial areas, while optical-fibre ducts may be provided along roads with 12-metre ROW and above. Cybersecurity measures and global wireless and broadband standards are proposed. Yamuna restoration and green network The plan proposes intercepting and treating all 22 drains flowing into the Yamuna through sewage treatment, constructed wetlands and bio-remediation. Untreated sewage, wastewater, industrial effluents and solid waste discharge into the river and other water bodies will be prohibited. Along the 22-km Wazirabad-Okhla stretch, 13 major restoration projects covering around 1,700 hectares will focus on wetlands, natural depressions, floodplain ecosystems and biodiversity. Existing wetlands will be desilted and new storage basins created. Riverine forests and grasslands, green buffers and groundwater-recharge measures are proposed. A 200-km Ridge-Yamuna Park Connector cycling network, including 52 km along the floodplain, is proposed. A 75-100 metre public greenway may be developed along embankments with walking, cycling and passive recreation facilities. The active floodplain will remain a "no-construction zone", except for permitted recreational uses. Unauthorised structures, including religious structures, will be removed on priority, while essential utilities will require approval. Pandemic and disaster preparedness The plan seeks to make Delhi better prepared for pandemics by encouraging mixed land uses and vertical mixing, so homes, workplaces and essential services remain closer together. It proposes decentralised offices, co-working spaces, shared workspaces in slum rehabilitation projects and support for home-based work. Large green spaces, open areas and public plazas will be incorporated into new developments and regeneration projects to provide space during health emergencies. Affordable rental and ownership housing, worker housing and hostels are proposed to expand accommodation options for migrants. For fires and earthquakes, dedicated evacuation areas and refuge spaces will be identified in neighbourhoods, particularly densely populated ones. Parks, multipurpose grounds and open spaces may serve as evacuation areas, while RWAs and local bodies may identify refuge spaces during infectious disease outbreaks. Helipads may be provided on suitable high-rise buildings and hospitals for emergency air evacuation. Crematoriums and animal last rites The plan proposes time-bound modernisation of existing crematoriums and encourages electric and gas-fired cremation and eco-friendly wood substitutes.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.