Focus on unauthorised colonies in Delhi’s Master Plan-2041

The master plan is the blueprint for urban development that lays down guidelines on how and where Delhi builds homes, offices, schools and industrial zones.

The Master Plan of Delhi-2041 will finally address the capital’s biggest concern — regulating unauthorised colonies. The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), which is preparing the plan, has started deliberations on how to bring these colonies under the planning ambit.

An unauthorised colony in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj area. With nearly one-thirds of the Delhi’s population living in unauthorised colonies, urban planners say the road map for future development can’t be complete till a plan is put in place to regulate and redevelop them.(Sanchit Khanna/HT File)

Bringing unregulated urban sprawls under the planning domain was one of the key issues flagged by urban development experts from India and abroad at the consultation event on Master Plan-2041 organised by the NIUA and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Tuesday.

Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal said, “Brownfield development is the way forward and amalgamation of plots, and transit-oriented development should be considered while redeveloping in-built environment.”

With nearly one-thirds of the Delhi’s population (nearly 60 lakh) living in these colonies, urban planners say the road map for future development can’t be complete till a plan is put in place to regulate and redevelop them.

The master plan is the blueprint for urban development that lays down guidelines on how and where Delhi builds homes, offices, schools and industrial zones.

Jagan Shah, NIUA director, said, “People in unauthorised colonies are looked upon as encroachers. But as we plan for the future development, they can’t be ignored. The MPD-2041 will address the issue of unauthorised colonies and how we can redevelop them to provide basic amenities such as schools, hospital, etc. We have started a discussion on the matter.”

Pedro B Ortiz, senior fellow, Marron Institute of Urban Management, New York University, said informal or unregulated settlements are a problem the world over and cities have to provide land for the influx of people coming in search of jobs. “People are going to come to the cities and you can’t prevent it. If you don’t provide land to them, they are going to be uncontrolled in informal settlements. It is the government’s duty to provide that land.”

In Delhi, while the number of unauthorised colonies has increased over the years, these have been kept out of the urban planning ambit. In the Master Plan of Delhi-2021, notified in February 2007 and valid till 2021, the state government and the Centre were supposed to prepare a plan for the development of unauthorised colonies along with special areas and rural villages.

While the Centre sought time to prepare a plan for these areas, development is protected under the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, which was first introduced in 2007 and extended annually. The protection under the Act was last revised in 2017 and extended till December 2020.

DDA and urban planners say it is about time to address the issue. “These colonies are an integral part of Delhi and we can’t ignore them. It has been decided to make detailed provisions to provide essential infrastructure in these colonies and prepare a plan for redevelopment,” DDA vicechairman Tarun Kapoor said.

Though the deliberations are in the initial stages, Shah said there is a need to incentives to people in these areas to provide civic and social infrastructure.

The regularisation of such colonies—the number increased from 1,218 in 2008 to 1,797—has been hanging fire for the past 12 years. The BJP-led central government and the AAP government in Delhi are at loggerheads over regularisation and blame each other for the delay.