New Delhi: Keeping in mind the ever-growing population and the importance of the National Capital Region (NCR), the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) on Monday started preparing the Regional Plan-2041 for development of the area.
The citizen-centric development plan is to be based on economic viability and sustainability, informed Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra.
"This is a huge task and it should be done with proper planning and methodologies," he stated during an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat here.
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Mishra said that scarcity of land was the biggest challenge and planners should think of ways to make optimum use of the existing land.
He said that the authorities will help in improving the overall standard of living of the people so that they could contribute more and more to the economy.
"NCR is an important region. It is to be developed keeping in mind it's economic importance," said Mishra, adding that by the time we cross 2021, well-documented planning for NCR will be ready.
The official, speaking on the sidelines of a conclave where all NCR states, ministries and departments, educational institutions, industries, housing associations and other stakeholders will be participating, said that land is the biggest challenge and planners should think of ways to make optimum use of existing land.
The Regional Plan with the horizon year 2021 was notified on 17 September 2005 and is presently in force.
The new development plan is expected to address sectors such as Transport, Water, Sewerage, Solid Waste, Power, Regional Land use, etc.
The NCR, which covers 55,083 sq km of area spreading in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, is the world's second-largest most populous urban agglomeration. A United Nations (UN) report titled 'World Urbanisation Prospects 2018' said that the NCR could be the world's most populous city by 2028 with 37.2 million people. That is eight million more in just 10 years.
The present population of the NCR is 29 million, second only to Tokyo with 37 million.
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