Master Plan: RWAs meet Jaipal, express concern

New Delhi, Feb 3: Representatives of capital's various Resident Welfare Associations and group of eminent citizens have met union Urban Developement Minister Jaipal Reddy to register their concerns over the proposed Master Plan of Delhi (MPD 2021) that is due to be notified in the next few days.

RWAs led by New Delhi People's Alliance and concerned citizens like senior journalist Kuldip Nayar and scientist Vikram Soni met Mr Reddy yesterday and outlined their strong opposition to the ''chaotic and speedy'' manner in which the draft master plan was sought to be introduced as law in the city.

''The draft master plan did not take into account the sustainability of the city while pushing through its provisions,'' Mr Nayar said.

Town planner Kuldip Singh argued, ''its top down approach disregards the area-wise ground-level participation of citizens for whom it is being fashioned and lacks the comprehensive vision that takes care of all sections of society while looking at the city as a whole.'' The minister agreed the current plan was not the solution to all problems and said the document being produced under pressure at the moment would be subject to public scrutiny later and then revisions to the plan could be undertaken.

''The plan is not cast in stone,'' he said and added ''it is open to criticism, suggestion and amendment. We are also trying to ensure that it is reviewed every five years so that ground realities and changes are taken in to account.''

NDPA outlined a specific proposal that traders and RWAs, professional and environmental bodies on its platform had all agreed to setting up of an institutionalised hearings process for three to six months and the preparation of a professional plan. ''All citizen's bodies and local area groups should be given a chance to come to these hearings at the end of which a special working group of private and public planners should come together to prepare a timebound document that takes city realities into account and also delivers a truly viable city with a vision,'' said NDPA Coordinator Alpana Kishore.

The minister also agreed to consider this suggestion favourably.

Specifically on commercialisation, Mr Atul Goyal representing United Residents Joint Action, the largest group of RWAs in NDPA, said, ''traders are willing to shift out of residential establishments if proper legal commercial space is provided to them.

If the plan gives time to the development of this space already marked out in DDA's own plans, there is no need to declare wholesale roads commercial.'' Mr Reddy agreed that developing legal commercial space was the need of the hour and reiterated ''the plan is not sacrosanct. It can be amended if needed.'' Mr Soni gave an indication about the massive pressure that would be exerted on just the water resource by allowing urbanisation in green zones and regularlisation of unauthorised colonies that the master plan would bring about if implemented in its current shape.

Mr Reddy said the notifications were restricted to land use matters while expressing concern at the environmental picture emerging from the developmental realities in the national capital that would need to be seriously looked at.

NDPA, a conglomerate group of thirty diverse organisations represented diverse professional bodies, social and community based NGOs, planners, activists, traders' association and RWAs.

UNI