DDA to survey land pooling zones to fast-track housing, infra projects

Survey across zones N, P-II, K-I, and L to create inventory of usable land, resolve legal disputes, and speed up affordable housing projects.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is set to conduct a comprehensive survey across all zones under its Land Pooling Policy to assess land availability for upcoming housing and infrastructure projects, officials said. The exercise aims to streamline planning and accelerate stalled development across Delhi’s designated urban expansion areas.

Consultants to map land parcels and encroachments under the 2018 policy; results to guide priority development and new infrastructure projects. (HT Archive)

According to officials, the move is part of DDA’s effort to revive progress in zones N, P-II, K-I and L, which together form a major portion of the city’s future residential blueprint. A tender issued earlier this week mandates detailed mapping and verification of land parcels, encroachments, and pending ownership claims to help prioritize sites for new projects.

“This survey will give us a clear picture of what land is immediately available and what is locked in legal or procedural complications. The objective is to prepare a district-wise inventory of usable plots so that projects like affordable housing, green infrastructure and public utilities can be rolled out in a time-bound manner,” said a DDA official, requesting anonymity.

According to the tender document, the DDA will hire technical consultants to carry out GIS-based mapping, physical verification, and reconciliation with land records. The study will cover all notified pooling sectors, as well as areas where landowners have submitted declarations under the policy.

Launched in 2018, the Land Pooling Policy was designed to replace compulsory acquisition with voluntary land contribution, wherein landowners’ pool holdings that are reconstituted into a planned layout. A portion of the developed land is returned to owners, while the rest is used for public infrastructure such as roads, housing and utilities.

The scheme spans 95 villages across multiple planning zones and has the potential to create over 17 lakh housing units and accommodate nearly 76 lakh residents. However, progress has been slow due to delayed approvals, infrastructure gaps, and poor coordination between DDA, revenue departments and private stakeholders, officials said.

“The land pooling policy was meant to unlock land for Delhi’s growth, but several bottlenecks have prevented large-scale rollouts. This survey will help us take stock of what’s working and what needs intervention,” the official cited above added.

Officials said the survey results will feed into DDA’s new housing and infrastructure pipeline, including affordable housing clusters, green corridors and civic infrastructure in outer zones. The survey is expected to be completed in six months, after which a priority development map will be finalised to identify land ready for immediate use.