उपराज्यपाल, दिल्ली

DDA to make strategic plan dovetailing all ongoing projects to develop complete ecosystem for the sub-city in Dwarka : LG

Retrofit and  redevelop Dwarka sub-city with TOD, drain rejuvenation, comprehensive street redesign and connecting urban greens to promote safety and walkability: Lt. Governor

DDA to prepare comprehensive plan to converge all on-going & upcoming projects in Dwarka into a “Unified Vision” : LG

Develop complete eco-system of sub-cities to improve quality of living : LG

Hon’ble Lt. Governor has written to Vice Chairman, Delhi Development Authority asking to constitute a small interdisciplinary sub-group in DDA including experts from NIUA or other similar agencies to make a strategic plan dovetailing all projects, optimizing available land and building on latest policy framework to develop complete ecosystem for the sub-city, Dwarka.

Hon’ble LG noted that DDA has developed Dwarka as the largest sub-city in Asia. The sub-city is developed on the principles of Mixed Land Use (MLU) to reduce the need for commuting across zones in the city, mitigate environmental impact and provide safe and convenient circulation. Though development of Dwarka started in late 80’s however it has reached tipping point recently with opening of new access routes, development of metro connectivity and availability of potable water.

Hon’ble LG noted that so far DDA has developed over 90% of the land earmarked for residential usage however, almost 50% land earmarked for commercial and Public Semi-Public (PSP) purpose is yet to be developed, implying that while people have moved to the sub-city, the amenities are yet to take shape. Large “destination development” has also not taken place despite best potential.

Hon’ble LG noted that DDA has land bank of about 1100 Ha developable land in Dwarka to be monetized. Availability of such vast tracts of land for development, robust metro rail network, well connected roads and large green areas offer a unique opportunity for rethinking the way Dwarka sub-city is evolving. The infrastructure of the sub-city also demands serious retrofit and revamp of public spaces.

The sub-city is at crossroads of development with many upcoming projects like  improving access through UER-II & Dwarka Expressway, 200 acre Bharat Vandana Park, Second Diplomatic Enclave, International - Exhibition -cum Convention centre (ICC), state-of-the -art Bijwasan Railway Station, Public Bike sharing scheme, Street redevelopment with cycle tracks and junction redesign, Cleaning of trunk drains, Transit Oriented Development plan around Metro Stations, Development of Commercial hub, state-of-the-art 173 acre golf course etc.

He also stated that several policies which have recently come in force i.e. Transit oriented Development, Walkability Policy, Land pooling policy, Blue-green policy  will also have huge impact on further development in the sub-city.

Hon’ble LG observed that at present, all the above path-breaking projects and policies are being implemented as stand-alone projects isolated from each other. There is no comprehensive plan, interlinking them through an urban design framework that helps improve quality of living and value of vacant undeveloped land. Such fragmented developments carried out in isolation  not only restrict overall objective of the Sub-City but also lead to limited community benefit with un-rectifiable urban situations which may be very hard to reverse.

Hon’ble LG directed DDA to comprehensively plan and converge all on-going and upcoming projects of all agencies into a “Unified Vision”. Proper redevelopment plans for TOD corridor development, drain rejuvenation and development of vacant land, linking streets, vibrant open spaces/market places/public spaces, comprehensive street redesign – should be prepared to promote safety and walkability. Urban design strategy to link blue-green network to improve connectivity need to be chalked out. This will not only benefit the residents of the sub-city but also increase value of vacant DDA plots manifold and the whole development can become a win-win plan for the authority and the people.

Hon’ble LG urged that a proper business case should be developed along with the urban design plan. Such process can further trigger similar planning in other sub-cities to optimize their development. The aim of the development should be to add value to the area, besides making the environment of the sub city conducive to good quality and less polluted living.