The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has formally approved the Master Plan for Delhi (MPD) 2047, a critical document poised to guide the capital's urban development, housing strategies, and environmental management for the next two decades. This landmark decision was announced by Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who chairs the DDA, on Wednesday.
The newly approved plan extends its horizon from 2041 to 2047, aligning with the national 'Viksit Bharat 2047' vision. It now awaits final notification from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
Addressing Urban Challenges and Future Growth
Delhi has grappled with a significant shortage of affordable housing, with the share of new homes priced under ₹40 lakh plummeting from 62% in 2020 to just 11% last year. Conversely, luxury housing (₹1.5 crore and above) surged from 13% of new supply in 2019 to 70% in 2024, according to real estate consultancy Anarock.
The MPD 2047 aims to tackle these disparities by:
- Promoting High-Density Construction: Utilizing Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) policies, particularly near metro corridors, to enable higher construction density.
- Easing Land Pooling Norms: Simplifying regulations to unlock large tracts of land for planned development, curbing unauthorized construction that spans over 3,500 hectares in Outer Delhi.
- Regularizing Unauthorized Colonies: The MoHUA previously notified a policy to regularize 1,511 unauthorized colonies on an "as-is-where-is" basis.
Bhupender Bazad, chairman of the Delhi Master Plan Committee of Delhi Dehat Vikas Manch (DDVM), claims that the implementation of these new policies is expected to attract a massive global investment of ₹25 to ₹30 lakh crore to Delhi.
Key Focus Areas of MPD 2047
The plan emphasizes a roadmap for sustainable and inclusive urban growth, focusing on enhancing ease of doing business, improving ease of living, and fostering a cleaner, greener capital. Key highlights include:
- Affordable Housing: Increasing housing supply along metro and rail corridors.
- Yamuna Protection: Imposing a ban on concrete structures within the core Yamuna floodplain (O-Zone) to safeguard the river's ecological balance.
- Simplified Approvals: Amending the Unified Building Bye-Laws (UBBL)-2016 to streamline the building plan approval process.
- Redevelopment Policy: Introducing a specific policy for the reconstruction and redevelopment of old two-storey DDA-built residential units.
Overcoming Delays
The approval of MPD 2047 concludes a five-year delay in Delhi’s long-term planning. The previous Master Plan 2041, approved by the DDA in February 2023 and forwarded to MoHUA in April 2023, remained pending for over three years, missing several deadlines set by the government.
Stakeholders now hope that the final notification of the MPD 2047 will expedite planned development and bring much-needed structure to Delhi's expanding urban landscape.