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Why in the news?

The Delhi Development Authority gave its preliminary approval to the draft Master Plan for Delhi 2041.The draft is now in the public domain for objections and suggestions from citizens, after which it will be enforced.

What is a master plan?

• A city’s master plan is a vision document created by planners and the city’s land-owning agency that directs the city’s future growth.
• It comprises population, economic, housing, transportation, community amenities, and land use studies, suggestions, and plans.
• Delhi’s existing master plan, Master Plan 2021, is set to expire this year.

What is the master plan 2041 for Delhi?

• The Master Plan for Delhi 2041 is a two-volume, 22-chapter document that aims to “create a sustainable, liveable, and dynamic Delhi by 2041.”
• The first volume serves as an introduction, presenting an overview of Delhi now, its global and regional status, population estimates, and forecasts until 2041.
• The draft MPD lays forth a 20-year plan for the city.

Main focus areas of the master plan:

• The Master Plan will be able to meet a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:
  • SDG 6: Safe drinking water and sanitation
  • Sustainable cities and communities is the eleventh Sustainable Development Goal.
  • Life below Water is a Sustainable Development Goal 14.
  • SDG 15- Life on land.
• In the housing sector, it proposes rewarding leased housing by encouraging corporate companies and government agencies to increase their investments, taking into account the high migratory population.
• It tackles parking issues and proposes a “user pays” model, according to which users of all personal motor vehicles, save non-motorized vehicles, must pay for allowed parking facilities, spots, and stalls.

Environmental pollution- one of the biggest crises of Delhi:

• The draft plan intends to reduce vehicle pollution by implementing important methods such as switching to greener public transportation fuels and implementing mixed-use transit-oriented development (also known as TOD).
• It also aims to improve the water quality of the Yamuna River, as well as in numerous lakes, natural drains, and baolis.
• The draft establishes a precise border for the Yamuna River buffer zone and considers how to develop it.
• According to the proposal, a 300-meter-wide green buffer will be maintained along the river’s whole margin wherever possible.

Master plan 2041 different from the 2021 master plan:

• As a result of the epidemic, the globe has changed dramatically, and the expanding population has resulted in smaller places and increased unemployment.
• In the event of an emergency, the Master Plan 2041 proposes to construct shared communal spaces to provide shelter areas, communal kitchens, and quarantine space.
• The strategy focuses on cultural events, bus entertainment, metro, sports facilities, and retail outlets featured in the Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) Night Life Circuit plan to strengthen the nighttime economy.
• It also advocates reducing reliance on mechanical ventilation systems by decentralizing workstations, requiring the establishment of open spaces, improving habitat design, and developing green-rated projects.

Challenges:

• On paper, the master plan appears to be an ideal blueprint for the city’s growth; yet, when the implementing agencies try to recreate it on the ground, they run into issues like as –
  • Political opposition; a lack of resources and funding; corruption in several areas; a lack of political and bureaucratic will; and the multiplicity of agencies.
• For example, despite discussions about expanding surface parking, eliminating junk vehicles, enforcing fines for dumping rubbish, rubbish burning, and trash separation, many of these ideas would never be implemented.
• In some circumstances, such as raising parking or charging for it, politicians resist owing to vote-bank politics; in other circumstances, initiatives are hampered by a lack of funding and inefficient implementation.

Way forward:

• The government must address the issue of having too many agencies. This will help these organizations work together more effectively.
• Cleaning water bodies and sewers necessitates strict adherence to planning, which has long been a challenge for authorities in Delhi. Similarly, waste discharged in the Yamuna River must be closely monitored.