Commercial,mixed use areas not defined in Master Plan:commissioner

New Delhi, Jan 15 (UNI) Joining the list of critics of the draft proposals of the 2021 Master Plan for Delhi, MCD commissioner A K Nigam today said the MPD 2021 lacked a proper definition of commercial, residential and mixed use areas in Delhi which, if not rectified, could lead to several complexities in the foreseeable future.

''The draft proposals of MPD 2021 contain several lacunae which need to be rectified or it could lead to complexities in future,''Mr Nigam said in a statement at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Corporation.

In this context, Mr Nigam said in the draft proposals, many areas of Delhi like Chandni Chowk and Sadar Bazaar which had already been declared commercial under the previous Master plans, had been referred to as "predominantly residential".

''In my opinion, colonies established prior to 1962 which do not confirm to the 18 sq m criteria for being designated as commercial but where commercialisation is more than 50 per cent, should be declared as commercial,''he said.

Stating that the present guidelines prescribed in the MPD 2021 for nursing homes and diagnostic centres in Delhi would lead to closure of almost 90 per cent of such centres, the commissioner favoured separate guidelines for diagnostic centres rather than just clubbing them with that of Nursing homes.

He also suggested that commercial activities in basements be allowed as a large number of basements were being used for commercial activities.

Questioning the rationale of categorising the areas in Delhi into A, B, C, D, E, F and G, the ommissioner said,''there is no rationale behind the categorisation of colonies in Delhi. Shops built of area more than 20 m should be allowed irrespective of the area in which they are located.'' More UNI AR LS VV1905