GHAZIABAD: After almost two years of hectic deliberations, the GDA board on Friday approved the draft of the unified Master Plan 2031, which encompasses areas of Ghaziabad, Loni and Modinagar/Muradnagar.
The new plan covers an overall developed area of about 33,543.1 hectares, including 18,687.8 hectares in Ghaziabad, 6,874.9 hectares in Modinagar and 7,980.4 hectares in Loni.
With the city’s population estimated to touch 48 lakh by 2031, GDA has reserved about 39.8% (12873.1 hectares) of the area for residential development. About 2.2% of land (702.85 hectares) is earmarked for commercial use.
The plan also incorporates TOD zones along the 1.5km-long rapid rail (4,261.43 hectares) and 500m along the Red Line and Blue Line metro corridors (616.61 hectares). A Special Development Area (909.82 hectares) will also come up around the Duhai RRTS depot.
The master plan draft will now be sent to the state govt for approval before it is implemented.
The draft plan had been rejected by the GDA board four times. In March 2023, it was delayed so that the state’s transit-oriented development (TOD) zone could be incorporated into the master plan draft.
In Aug that year, the Meerut divisional commissioner put the draft on hold as the Duhai Namo Bharat station-cum-depot was not included in the TOD zone. The plan was sent back by the board again in Sept, this time for not inviting feedback and objections from the public.
In October, GDA had invited fresh objections from the public. About 72 objections were addressed, most over recreational green belt or green belt.
The revised draft plan was approved by the GDA board in Nov last year. But in March, the state govt sent it back to the development authority seeking a response over a few clauses in the draft, including the green zone and ‘record of right’. The ‘record of right’ is a 100-metre area on both sides of any expressway and 60 metres on both sides of state highways, which are earmarked as green belts.
“The changes sought by the state govt and divisional commissioner have been addressed in the new draft. It ensures the city’s overall development, especially in and around the rapid rail, metro, and expressway corridors,” a GDA official said.
As per the plan, the areas along SAD and TOD zones will be placed under mixed and residential land use where GDA will allow a FAR of 5, up from the existing 1.5, which will allow residential and commercial growth, while allowing the development authority to generate higher revenue.
