School of Planning and Architecture tasked to ready logistics plan for freight transit in Noida

As part of the exercise, the consultant will carry out a baseline assessment of Noida’s freight ecosystem, mapping warehouses, industrial clusters, markets and major freight routes

NOIDA: The Noida authority on Wednesday said that it has engaged the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) to prepare a City Logistics Plan (CLP) for the city, paving the way for streamlining freight movement and easing congestion.

Sector-specific freight partnership committees will be formed to bring together government officials, industry representatives and logistics operators, particularly from sectors such as e-commerce, electronics and pharmaceuticals. Hospitals and medical supply chains are expected to receive special attention, said officials. (HT Archive)

Notably, Noida was selected by the Union government for preparation of a city-level logistics plan under the national logistics planning framework.

The move is being steered by the Union ministry of commerce & industry through its department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT), said officials.

A national-level workshop on city logistics planning was held last year, after which Noida was shortlisted for a detailed logistics plan aimed at improving efficiency, sustainability and climate-friendly freight operations, they added.

“To select a consultant, the Authority had invited proposals from several premier government institutions, including IITs and NITs. However, only two institutions formally responded — SPA, New Delhi, and IIT Roorkee (department of civil engineering). After evaluating their submissions, the Authority decided to engage SPA on a nomination basis to prepare the project,” said Lokesh M, CEO, Noida authority.

The institute has previously worked with multiple government agencies, including Noida Authority, and had prepared the master plan for the Delhi–Noida–Ghaziabad Investment Region (DNGIR) up to 2041 under an MoU, the Authority stated.

As part of the exercise, the consultant will carry out a baseline assessment of Noida’s freight ecosystem, mapping warehouses, industrial clusters, markets and major freight routes, the authority.

The plan will also recommend measures such as dedicated truck corridors, improved loading and unloading zones, and better truck parking facilities, said officials.

Officials said the CLP will help schedule freight movement during non-peak hours and earmark specific freight zones to reduce conflicts with local traffic, said officials.

In view of the limited land availability, the emphasis will be on optimising existing infrastructure, said officials.

Sector-specific freight partnership committees will be formed to bring together government officials, industry representatives and logistics operators, particularly from sectors such as e-commerce, electronics and pharmaceuticals. Hospitals and medical supply chains are expected to receive special attention, said officials.

The plan will also include capacity-building programmes, sustainability measures to cut emissions, and a monitoring framework with periodic reviews to track implementation.