Most areas in Delhi other than A and B categories will be open to commercial activity since mixed land use has been allowed.
Delhi master plan brings smile to traders and architects
NEW DELHI: The Delhi master plan has brought smiles on the faces of traders and professionals. Most areas in Delhi other than A and B categories will be open to commercial activity since mixed land use has been allowed. The Union Cabinet also approved the guidelines for regularisation of more than 1500 unauthorised colonies in the Capital on Thursday.
However, the affluent Sainik farms have not been regularised. The regularised colonies have almost 30 lakh migrants on government and private land. The Cabinet clarified that the mixed land usage, which allows for commercial activity in residential areas will be applicable in these colonies. DNA spoke to a few urban planners and was received a universal thumbs up on the decision.
“I think it’s a win-win situation for the government. The 30 lakh people of these colonies are also citizens of Delhi and deserve basic services like water and power. Though the question now will be how Delhi will cope with these additional demands. But we need to understand that these people, who till now were considered illegal entrants, have been using these amenities. Now with a new system in place their usage can be regulated. Also they will have to pay for these services and will be brought into the tax bracket,” says KT Ravindran, an urban planner.
Professor AGK Menon, Urban Planner and Architect agrees. “There was no other option than to regulate these colonies. At this point I think what we need is a national urban policy. If the Capital needs water and power and has signed a memorandum with UP for this purpose, then a national urban policy should ensure that we get it immediately. Regularising these colonies is a positive step for the Delhi government because they will have a more realistic idea about what their future needs are going to be,” he says.
Urban planners also said that the government may have to set up a special cell to regulate and sort out these issues.
To this effect, the Delhi cabinet decided to create a separate special unauthorised colonies development fund to facilitate the process of upgradation of services in around those colonies, which are being regularised. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said that funds for this would be generated from the government and the Union Government under the JNNURM.
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