Clinics allowed in colonies in Master Plan

Children with learning disabilities and people with special educational needs would soon be able to visit multidisciplinary clinics near their homes, Sidhartha Roy reports.

Children with learning disabilities and people with special educational needs would soon be able to visit multidisciplinary clinics near their homes.

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Currently, the Capital does not boast of many such facilities, but thanks to a recent modification in the Master Plan of Delhi 2021, multidisciplinary clinics for learning disabilities have been allowed to operate from residential areas, provided they meet the minimum criteria.

In a recent notification, the Ministry of Urban Development has permitted such clinics as an activity under the category of 'Clinic' in the Master Plan.

Such clinics, are now allowed on a minimum plot size of 100 square metres in regular plotted areas on roads with a width of at least 13.5 metres in C and D category colonies and with minimum plot size of 50 square metres near 9

metre wide roads in E, F and G category colonies. Category C colonies include areas such as Vasant Kunj and Lajpat Nagar and D category includes areas such as Preet Vihar and Rajouri Garden.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had approved the plan to permit such clinics in residential areas in July 2011 and after the process of inviting suggestions and objections from the public, the necessary changes in the Master Plan were notified last month by the ministry.

"School-going children with learning disabilities require remedial facilities close to where they live. They also require certain types of interventions, which include psychological testing, play education, counselling, speech and language therapy involving different professionals and special educators etc," he said. "With the modification in the Master Plan, it will become easier to open more such centres."