Farmers Movement Archive

DDA gives nod for eco-friendly revamp of green belt villages in city

With a view to encourage eco-friendly development, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Wednesday approved the Green Development Area (GDA) policy, to regulate infrastructure and other works in villages that are located in the green belt on Delhi’s periphery as well as low-density residential areas (LDRA), where a majority of farmhouses are located.The policy is much needed, experts said, and will help regulate development activities in villages and ensure that they happen in a sustainable and green manner, without compromising Delhi’s green lungs.A total of 70 villages in the urban extensions of the national capital will benefit from the policy, once it is notified, officials in the know of the matter said.As per the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 (MPD 2021), the green belt extends from the boundary of the national capital “up to a depth of one peripheral revenue village boundary”.The policy, which was approved at a meeting of the DDA, chaired by lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal, will be put in the public domain for suggestions and objections before being sent to the Union housing and urban affairs ministry for notification.Currently, no new construction, either residential or commercial, is allowed in the 47 rural villages -- such as Dhansa, Mitraon, Tikri Kalan, Kapashera, parts of Rajokri, Ghumanhera, Bamnoli and Bijwasan -- that are located on the periphery of the city.A senior DDA official said, on condition of anonymity, “The GDA policy will encourage ‘green development’ and will ensure seamless development of infrastructure and road network within and around GDA.”The new policy, a second senior DDA official said, will allow planned development in these villages and make way for institutions, hospitals and big parks to come up. The policy will also be applicable to the 23 villages that are currently covered by the low-density residential area (LDRA) policy, notified in 2013.As per the policy, there will be a three-graded approach towards the development of land parcels falling in these areas. The policy provides a framework defining a minimum land area required for green development.In Grade 1, a minimum plot area of 600 square metres (sqm) is required, whereas in Grade 2 and 3, the minimum plot area required will be 4,000sqm and 10,000sqm, respectively. “The idea is to incentivise development on agglomerated land parcels of bigger size. The floor area ratio (FAR) permitted will vary from five (for Grade 1) to 60 (for Grade 3), depending on the plot size,” said the second official.The official continued, “The FAR will be much less than what is approved for any development in the rest of the city in a bid to ensure that the green character of the area is not affected.”For instance, in Grade 3, higher education campuses, non-polluting work centres such as cyber and knowledge parks, research and development, agricultural processing and packaging units, cold storage, convention and exhibition centres, concert spaces and stadium will be allowed.The mandatory wooded area shall be increased as per the grade change, with a minimum 45% of the plot area in case of Grade 3 kept aside as wooded/green area.Currently, the MPD-2021 allows the following activities in green belt areas: agricultural use, dairy farms, piggery, poultry farms, biodiversity park, veterinary centre, and police post, among others.On vacant plots in these villages, the DDA has allowed activities such as pre-primary school, nursing home, clinic, dispensary, banks, fitness centres, and coaching institutes, among others.Villagers say with the population in these villages increasing, there is a need for a plan development, so that people can construct houses and earn a livelihood.Bhupinder Bazad, president of master plan committee of Delhi Dehat Vikas Manch, said, “There are a lot of warehouses in these villages that are currently unauthorised. As the village population is increasing, residents need space to construct new houses and also look at opportunities to earn a livelihood. The GDA policy is the need of the hour. While we need to protect the green lungs of the city, we also have to provide avenues to villagers for gainful employment.”Now a majority of the villages in Delhi has been declared as urbanised. Three years ago, the DDA started the process to implement the land pooling scheme in 95 urbanised villages that are close to the villages in the green belt.“We can’t rely on farming for a livelihood, as most farmers only have small land parcels with them. In the absence of a policy, a number of farmers are selling their land and unauthorised colonies are coming up on those parcels,” said Pradeep Dagar, a resident of Dhansa village in Najafgarh.Urban planning expert Sabyasachi Das, former planning commission with DDA, said, “It is a good move that the DDA is working on a policy for planned development in these villages. But commercial activity shouldn’t be allowed there, as that will destroy the green belt. There is a need to have strict development control norms. While giving permission for development, the focus should be on creating more green spaces on the plot.”

Hindustan Times

11-02-2021

Delhi