GHAZIABAD: Deferred several times over the transit-oriented development (TOD) policy, feedback, and objections, the 10-year Master Plan 2031 for Ghaziabad, Loni and Modinagar-Muradnagar has hit yet another hurdle now.
This time, the state govt has sought a response from the GDA over a few clauses in the draft, including the green zone and ‘record of right’.
The Master Plan 2021, which was to stay in effect until the end of the 2021 financial year, is likely to remain in effect until the new plan is approved by state officials.
The draft plan had been rejected by the GDA board thrice before. In March last year, it was delayed so that the state’s transit-oriented development (TOD) zone could be incorporated into the master plan draft.
In Aug, the Meerut divisional commissioner had 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. A total of 72 objections were addressed by the GDA, most seeking to convert the green belts marked in the draft plan as residential or mixed land use.
Most of these areas were along the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and other crucial stretches.
“As per the ‘record of right,’ a 100-metre area on both sides of any expressway and 60 metres on both sides of state highways has to be earmarked as a green belt. So, all such objections were disposed of as per norms,” a GDA official said.
Two speedways — DME and the upcoming Delhi-Dehradun expressway — pass through Ghaziabad. As per the rule, 15% of the total land area should be marked as green or recreational green zone.
In the draft master plan, which includes Loni and Modinagar-Muradnagar, 16.5% of the area has been marked as a green zone.
