The Hindu : New Delhi News : Master Plan calls for major expansion of Metro

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 02, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Master Plan calls for major expansion of Metro

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, DEC. 31. Envisaging a population of 2.30 crores for Delhi in the year 2021, the draft of the Master Plan for Delhi 2021 prepared by Delhi Development Authority has suggested major initiatives in expansion of the Metro Rail Transit System (MRTS) and Integrated Rail Bus Transit (IRBT) system as a means of catering to about 1.09 crore passengers or about 50 per cent to 60 per cent of the city's population daily.

Noting that the population would have grown from 138 lakhs in 2001 to 230 lakhs in 2021, the employment from 28.4 lakhs to 96 lakhs and school enrolment from 44 lakhs to 76 lakhs in the same period, the draft states that the per capita trip rate in 2021 would be 1.0 or simply put a trip for every person everyday.

In such a scenario, it has called for steps to expand the public transport network immensely. The Master Plan thus calls for laying of 244.9 km of Metro corridors by 2021.

In Phase I, it says Metro should cover the Shahdara-Tri Nagar-Barwala, Central Secretariat-Delhi University, and Barakhamba Road-Dwarka sections, covering a total of 62.2 km.The section is currently underway and the only change in plan is that the Rithala-Barwala segment has been replaced with the Barakhamba-Indraprastha line.

In Phase II, 51.7 km more will be added to MRTS connecting Barakhamba to Dilshad Garden, Central Secretariat to Rang Puri, and Delhi University to Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, as per the Master Plan.

However, here again some alterations are likely and the Delhi Metro is expected to travel from Indraprastha to Yamuna Depot from where lines will bifurcate and reach up to Anand Vihar and new Ashok Nagar in East Delhi. Simultaneously, from Delhi University in North the line is expected to travel only up to Jahangirpuri and in South from Central Secretariat to Mehrauli.

As per the Master Plan, Phase II from 2006-2011 will also see setting up of the Indraprastha-Tughlakabad-Ballabhgarh IRBT corridor. Then in Phase III, the MRTS would be extended by another 62.2 km from Rangpuri to Shahabad Mohammadpur, from Barwala to Bawana; from Jahangirpuri to Raja Garden to Andrews Ganj to Nehru Place to Okhla Industrial AreaPhase I; and from Shahbad Mohammadpur to Dwarka to Kakrola villageto Najafgarh. Simultaneously, the IRBT will move from new Patel Nagar to Nangloi to Ghevra to Bahadurgarh and also to Azadpur.

The final Phase IV will see the MRTS going from Jahangirpuri to Madhuban Chowk. To Peera Garhi to Pankha Road to Sagarpur West; from Narela to Bawana to Ghevra to Najafgarh; and from Andheria Mod to Gurgaon. Alongside, the IRBT will be expanded to cover Shahdara, Saboli and Baghpat.

These expansions have been designed to cater to the transport demand which is projected to grow by 50 per cent in 10 years up to 2011 and by 100 per cent in 20 years.

As per the plan, about 428 square km or about 30 per cent of Delhi or about 60 per cent of Urban Area will come within 15-minute walking distance from the proposed stations with this plan.

Stating that the choice is either to facilitate planned development, visualising the economic forces or let the opportunity slip out of hand by perpetuating conventional concepts, the draft states that MRTS will change the movement pattern and thus restructure land use and it is desirable to remodel the adjoining areas as designated economic corridors.

As per the Master Plan, the 500-metre-wide belt on either side of the Metro corridors will be designated as intervention zone for economic corridors for which detailed schemes are to be prepared. Noting that incentives need to be given to residents, cooperative and agencies for coming up with redevelopment proposals for a minimum area of 10 hectares, it said a higher floor area ratio would be allowed in these corridors.

Having a large catchment area with low parking demand as most of the users will be commuting by MRTS, the draft stated that shopping malls, cineplexes, food courts, pubs, games centres, service apartments, hotels and high-tech parks need to be developed in these corridors.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi