National Capital Region May Shrink As Draft Regional Plan 2041 Gets Approved

The Draft Regional Plan-2041 aims to create a slum-free National Capital Region with air ambulance facility and high-speed connectivity through helitaxis, road, rail and inland waterways

As per the 'Draft Regional Plan 2041' the National Capital Region is likely to shrink to 100-km radium from Rajghat. The decision was approved by the NCR Planning Board aimed at focusing development of NCR's urban areas, official sources told PTI.

The officials say that the NCR area spreads around 150-175 km covering a lot of rural areas as well. With the approval of Draft Regional Plan 2041, the areas beyond 100 km are not likely to be the main part of the NCR. NCR Planning Board will soon notify a detailed draft plan after suggestions and objections from the public. 

"Linear corridors will be developed beyond 100 km radius and up to the existing NCR boundary, paving the way for development in areas falling within one kilometre from expressways, national highways and regional rapid transit system,” a source told PTI.

The respective state governments will have an option to include or omit tehsils lying partly within this 100 km delineation. The current plan, i.e. The Regional Plan 2021, had identified seven metro centres - Faridabad-Ballabgarh, Gurgaon-Manesar, Ghaziabad-Loni, Noida, Sonepat-Kundli, Greater Noida and Meerut.

It had also identified 11 regional centres - Bahadurgarh, Panipat, Rohtak, Palwal, Rewari-Dharuhera-Bawal, Hapur-Pilkhua, Bulandshahr-Khurja, Baghpat-Baraut, Alwar, Greater Bhiwadi, Shahjahanpur-Neemrana-Behror.

With the approval of Regional Plan 2041, some of the areas that do not fall in the 100-km radium will be excluded from the NCR.

"Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida and some areas of Meerut and others will remain part of the NCR as they fall under 100 km-radius condition. We have already developed areas that are covered within 50-60 kilometres of radius. Now, there will be focus on the remaining part," the source said.

The Draft Regional Plan-2041 aims to create a slum-free National Capital Region with air ambulance facility and high-speed connectivity through helitaxis, road, rail and inland waterways, as reported by PTI.

The draft also emphasizes on the connectivity of major cities of NCR through 30-minute superfast trains. It has also explored the feasibility of a Mass Transit Rail System (MTRS) from nearest NCR boundaries to Delhi.