DDA receives 400 objections to Central Vista redevelopment plan

A senior DDA official said a public hearing will be held in this regard before finalising the change in land use.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has received nearly 400 objections to the proposed change of land use for 101 acres in central Delhi for the Centre’s ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project.

Last December, DDA had approved the proposal to change the land use of 101 acres — stretching from near South Block to the Prime Minister’s residence— from recreational to residential. (SOURCED)

The objections range from questioning the need for the project to its impact on environment and traffic. Some also stressed on the need to protect heritage and demanded a proper assessment before going ahead with the plan.

A senior DDA official said a public hearing will be held in this regard before finalising the change in land use. “We have received nearly 400 suggestions/objections regarding the land use change, but close to 80% are repetitions. A majority of it stresses on the burden on public facilities due to the land use change. These issues will be addressed in the board of inquiry (public hearing),” senior DDA official, aware of the development, said.

Last December, the land-owning agency had approved the proposal to change the land use of 101 acres — stretching from near South Block to the Prime Minister’s residence— from recreational to residential, for the Central Vista redevelopment project.

DDA’s public notice, which was issued in December, regarding land use change doesn’t mention anything about the Central Vista project, it said. Anuj Srivastava, spokesperson of LokPATH, said, “There is no official information about the project in public domain. There is no clarity on what is proposed and what impact it will have on the traffic situation and the environment. The DDA or the government should have put out the detailed plan in public domain for discussion and review.”

The Indian Society of Landscape Architects (ISOLA) has called the project an “inappropriate planning decision”. “The proposed reduction of as much as 80 acres of area available both directly and indirectly to the general public, transport and parking etc. in this area is an inappropriate planning decision…It seems likely that the majestic trees on these 80 acres will be lost as part of the redevelopment proposal. Compensatory planting will not provide a suitable alternative here,” Sujata Kohli, honorary president, ISOLA, wrote.

Many have questioned the need for the project and said it contradicts the provisions of the Master Plan of Delhi 2021. Save Our City campaign, which is run by a group of residents’ welfare associations, activists and non-government organisations, has written to the DDA citing the provisions of the master plan (which was prepared by the DDA).

Objecting to the land use change, members of Save Our city campaign wrote, “As per the National Capital Region plan, no new central government and public sector undertaking offices should be located in the national capital. The DDA, as per its Act, is under the obligation to conduct a civic survey…It (DDA) is in the habit of changing the MPD in violation of all laws of the land and is hell-bent on killing the capital city.”

Anil Sood, honorary president of Chetna NGO and member of Save Our City campaign, said a notice issued by the DDA doesn’t give details of “compensatory allocation of land for recreational/public/semi-public spaces”.

While the plan for the redevelopment yet to be finalised, people have questioned the need for such a project, especially at a time when the focus is on Digital India.

“The expansion of physical infrastructure in central Delhi for government offices is not acceptable as it is against the Digital India plan of the Centre. When technology is the way forward, it is beyond common understanding as to who these buildings will cater to,” Gaurav Gambhir, advocate who runs ‘Let’s save Delhi campaign’, said.

Heritage experts say there is a need to do a detailed assessment to see the impact the new infrastructure will have on the heritage character of the area.

“A proper assessment needs to be done of the heritage character to ascertain the impact any kind of modification will have. The intersection between Rajpath and Janpath — consisting of the IGNCA, National Archives and National Museum— has for a long time been viewed as the city’s cultural hub. To change the function of these plots will affect the heritage character of this place,” Swapna Liddle, convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) (Delhi chapter), said.