Fast Forward 2021

While people from other metro cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are moving to smaller cities and towns in search of better livelihood and lifestyle, the trend in Delhi is totally different. The capital city continues to remain attractive for those looking for a better life.

Delhi’s population has witnessed an alarming rise since the 1990s. Currently, the city’s population is 1.67 crore. However, it is projected that Delhi’s population would be about 2.35 crore by 2021. Quite obviously the drain on the city’s resources will rise too by then. At that time, Delhi will require additional housing of around 24 lakh dwelling units. 

The City Development Plan (CDP), which is based on an assessment of the existing situation, and outlines a vision for development, strategies for achieving this and is indicative of the investment requirements and financial operating plans, sees the city’s demands will grow exponentially by 2021. 

Urban infrastructure and governance: The National Capital Territory consists of the three local bodies viz New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) area at the core, spread over 42.74 kilometres. The second is Municipal Corporation of Delhi (three MCDs), which occupies 1,397 kms or 94 per cent of the area of Delhi. And the last Delhi Cantonment Board, which covers the area between the Airport and NDMC, spread over 42.97 km.

Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is solely responsible for land issues covering about 66,000 hectares. The DDA Master Plan has envisaged its vision and policy guidelines for the period up to 2021.

The DDA has been responsible for ensuring planned development in the city through successive Master Plans (1962, 1982 and 2007). The DDA, however, has been unable to meet forecasted demands for housing, commercial and industrial spaces, resulting in large scale unauthorised development, and areas with non-conforming land uses. Only an estimated 30 per cent of the city’s population lives in planned areas. Despite growing pressure on land resources there are large tracts of underused land within the central city.

Experts believe that the lack of formal access to appropriate housing has led to the genesis of unauthorised colonies in Delhi. Currently, there are 1,634 unauthorised colonies providing shelter to about 45 lakh people.

Though the Congress-led Sheila Dikshit government has built built Delhi’s infrastructure considerably including flyovers, foot over bridges, Delhi Metro Rail, Buses, schools buildings, colleges and universities, but it could not do anything in housing sector.

‘House is a major issue, the reason why Delhi has not been able to catch up with other major capital cities of the world is because of a lack of housing, which has resulted in mushrooming of unauthorised colonies and slums,’ a town planner said.

It’s well-known that Delhi can’t expand horizontally, vertical growth has to happen. Such development can happen in new areas, where, there is space and opportunity for such growth. With increasing population and the 40 lakh people who live in slums, the city must build high rises? 

The master plan review will also redefine boundaries which until now were considered sacrosanct — the Lutyens’s Bunglow Zone (LBZ) and the O-Zone or the Yamuna flood plains. The DDA has floated a proposal to shrink the LBZ. The revised proposal with DDA’s recommendation has been forwarded to the Ministry of Urban Development and is under consideration.

According to Urban Development department’s official sources, the proposal seeks to exclude areas like Bengali Market, Golf-Link, and Sunder Nagar from the LBZ. This will allow vertical growth in these areas.

As far as walled Delhi is concerned, there are 319 katras in the area with about 3,000 buildings or properties. Out of these, 355 properties have been identified as dangerous and therefore require resettlement of inhabitants.

Water supply:   Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is the agency of government, who is responsible for procurement, treatment, transportation and distribution of water in the MCD areas. It also supplies bulk water to the NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board. Water requirement for an estimated population of 2.35 crore in 2021 is 1,660 MGD. At present DJB is equipped to distribute only 850 MGD water. 

Solid waste management: Major problems in Delhi would be dumping solid waste. The conservation and sanitation department of MCD is responsible for the collection, transportation and disposal of solid waste in the city. Delhi which is the largest solid waste producer in the country generates over 7,700 metric tonnes of solid wastes everyday followed by Mumbai with 6,500 tonnes. In 2021 it would be 13,000 metric tonnes per day. Currently, different types of waste streams in the city including municipal waste, biomedical waste, construction debris, industrial waste, slaughter house waste, electronic waste are mixed. Waste from different parts of the city is transported to three land facilities located at Ghazipur, Bhalaswa and Okhla. The existing landfills are almost full. 

Delhi Metro: It currently covering 195 km and carrying 25 lakh passengers per day. It is expected that the completion of III & IV phase Metro line would make it bigger than the London Metro adding approximately 412 km till 2021.