Draft Regional Plan 2041: NCR

Context

The National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) has recently approved the 'Draft Regional Plan 2041' according to which the National Capital Region (NCR) is likely to reduce in size. 

Key-points

• The geographical size of the region will be a contiguous circular region of 100km radius from Rajghat (Delhi). The area in the 100km radius can be developed as a core area.
• NCR is a region envisaged in 1985 for coordinated urban development in and around Delhi.
• Beyond 100 km radius and up to the existing NCR boundary, all notified cities/towns along with a corridor of one km on either side of connecting expressways/national highways/state highways/Regional Rapid Transit System will be included.
• Currently, NCR consists of 24 districts in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan and Delhi as a whole, spread over an area of ??55,083 square kilometers.
• The name of the natural conservation zones, as introduced in Regional Plan-2021 will be changed to “natural zones” in the forthcoming Regional Plan-2041.
• States will be empowered to decide whether tehsils that fall partly inside the NCR boundary should remain in it or not.
• The DRP 2041 plan will pave the way for a National Capital Region region ready for the future, with an air ambulance station and high speed connectivity via helitaxis, road, railway and inland waterways.
• The plan proposes to test the possibility of a 30-minute Mass Transit Rail System (MTRS) from the nearest NCR border to Delhi.

 Implications of the Move

• If implemented, parts of Panipat in Haryana and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh will be dropped from the new NCR map.
• The idea is to have a compact area so that the development can be planned in a better manner.
• It will benefit rural areas, as state governments are better able to plan for their development.