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Rapid population growth in the Capital region calls for a relook at the Master Plan Delhi 2021.

Us nion minister for urban develn opment Kamal Nath recently d pointed out the need for a revir sion of Master Plan Delhi 2021, (MPD 21) hich was passed in vi 2006, saying it had not taken S account the ground realities it and argued that Delhi was th growing at a phenomenal pace ti and the existing plan had failed L to meet the needs of the city. n “The current plan has not m been able to cope with the city's growth, leading to an s increase in unathorised u colonies, slums and jhuggim jhopris. The Master Plan does s not take into account ground th realities and population h growth. There is need to bring p in modifications in land use p and development norms... it commercialisation along o major transport networks, like the Metro, should be a taken up,“ he said. w The minister also added th that the government was tryh ing to draw future plans keepe ing in mind the projected popth ulation growth. “The populad tion has increased and our si planning could not match that r pace. Now, we are trying to s plan taking into account what st the population size would be in 2015 or 2030. The Master Plan should not be created looking at the past 30 years, but should be created looking at the coming 30 years.“ Real estate experts point out that the minister's statement should be welcome since he is talking about bringing contemporary and relevant changes to the many minor notifications on the MPD 2021.

“I do not think that Nath's suggestion is to make wholesale changes to the MPD document, nor should it be read as scrapping the one already notified,“ says Ramesh Menon, director, Certes Realty Ltd, a real estate consultancy.

The MPD-21 was notified vide a government of India (No SO 141 dated Feb 7, 2007) and it cannot be scrapped unless the Parliament/other authorities approve the same.

Likewise, the zonal plans were notified in 2010 vide government orders.

The MPD and zonal plans should be read as guiding documents for the many various minor notifications, which are subject to “tweaking“ as per the local level requirements, hence, the need for a local area plan which is inclusive and participatory in nature, while it takes into account the tenets of the MPD, he says.

“The areas where the public at large should be debating with the UD ministry include the timelines that the minister has projected. Why should an empowered expert team need three years to look into the details? Also, let the discussion not just revolve on the residential segment, we need schools, industry, social infrastructure, hospitals, parks etc. The urban design as suggested by the MPD need not be restrictive in nature, and should be more global in perspective,“ Menon says.

According to Santhosh Kumar, CEO operations, Jones Lang LaSalle India, the review will have to take steps that will decongest the areas struggling to accommodate the ever-increasing population. It is also important to ensure that growth does not come about at the cost of overall character and skyline of the city. Second, measures should be taken to ensure that the infrastructure development is in tune with the planning so that the pressure on the civic amenities like water and electricity does not increase further.

But what is Master Plan 2021? Does it touch the life of the common man in any way?
What is in it for him? The MPD 2021 envisages creation of five new sub-cities, to unlock 60,000 hectares for development and redevelopment for throwing up a large supply of housing within the city. It looks at creating these new sub-cities within Delhi, bigger than Dwarka and Rohini.

The Gurgaon-Noida story was based on the premise of lack of availability of land in Delhi. It was the absolute dearth of land in Delhi that forced people to look for options in the periphery. The new Master Plan is likely to change all that. What one knows as NCR (National Capital Region) could soon be redefined as the NCT (National Capital Territory).

-HT

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The Capital is a land of opportunities

The Master Plan is expected to throw up i a huge supply of housing in the R20 lakh a i to R36 lakh range P e

For the uninitiated, the National Capital Territory of Delhi is Territory of Delhi is divided into 15 zones as per the new Master Plan. Out of these, A to H, P, M and K1 are in urban Delhi, while J, K2, L, N and P2 fall in what is known as an urban extension. Also, with the population expected to rise to 230 lakh by the end of this decade and the projected housing demand pegged at more than two million homes, which means a need for two lakh dwelling units a year (a requirement that government authorities may not be able to fulfill), the new plan seeks to focus on public-private partnerships and has a provision that provides for entry of private developers in the acquisition and development of `new' Delhi land.

“We require 15 lakh dwelling units by 2020. The government does not have the capacity or the wherewithal to accomplish this task. Hence, the need for the private sector to step in,“ points out A K Jain, former Delhi Development Authority (DDA) Planning Commissioner. Interestingly, several leading private developers have already begun acquiring land in some of these new zones.

Private equity funds are also eyeing these new opportunities being made available in Delhi.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is ready with a revised version of a policy that will introduce private players in the public infrastructure development domain.
Titled public-private participation in land assembly and development in Delhi, it is pending the lieutenant governor's approval. The emphasis is on alternative modes of land assembly involving the private sector in the assembly and development of land and provision of infrastructure services. The policy stipulates that a landowner, or a group of land owners or a private developer will be “permitted to pool the land in an identified area or otherwise for unified planning and servicing“.

If implemented well, the Master Plan could turn out to be the biggest real estate opportunity of recent times.

However, the challenge, say realty experts, is how soon the government facilitates the participation of the private sector through clearances and level playing fields.
Rationalisation in prices Real estate experts are of the view that the new residential opportunities that the new Master Plan is likely to create will lead to rationalisation of residential prices in the surrounding areas. Delhi will throw up the largest supply of housing in the R20 lakh and R36 lakh price band due to the advantage associated with buying land cheap, today. Developers and investors who buy land now can afford to profitably provide supply in this price band. Delhi will compete with areas such as Gurgaon and Noida. The largest demand lies in the mid and affordable housing segment. This is because of favourable land pricing. The surrounding markets are creating lowcost/affordable housing projects almost 60-80 km away from the CBD areas of Delhi, with low infrastructure and transportation connect. The Delhi opportunity would mean quality lifestyles, affordability through the MPD vision of integrated sub-cities. If one were to analyse the current real estate market scenario, one will find that while Gurgaon's residential prices have shot up and Noida prices are under check due to fresh supply in the market, the huge land supply in Delhi may see projects being launched at R4500 to R5500 per sq ft in some of these new zones due to tough competition.

The lifelines of these new zones will be a 100-metre urban expressway road that will originate at NH 1 and cut through NH 10, NH 8 and go up to NH 2; and the UER 1 (which is 80 metres) and which will originate at NH 1 and cut through NH 10, to terminate at NH 8. It would be what the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway is for the eastern suburbs. Once the 100-metre UER-II is ready, driving to Rohini from the airport and south Delhi will just take 30 minutes.

The new green belt MPD 2021 envisages a number of changes related to the location (in the green belt) and construction of such types of properties. Out of the 15 zones, A to H, P, M and K1 are in urban Delhi and J, K2, L, N and P2 fall in `urbanisable' area or urban extension.

The document stipulates that land up to the depth of one peripheral village revenue boundary along the border of National Capital Territory (NCT) would be maintained as green belt. New farmhouses will only be allowed in this green belt with the rest being put to use for forestry, agriculture, dairy farms etc.

-HT

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MPD 2021 and the Metro

Influence zones to be created along stations will have tall buildings
re you among those who envy those living close to Metro staAtions? If yes, there might have also been times when you felt a sharp pang of jealousy when the same people got excited about spiralling prices of their properties, in some cases areas so remote that you had never thought about investing there.

It's true that the Metro effect, as it is popularly called, does have magic.
Interestingly, the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 has proposed that up to 500 metres along a Metro line should be designated as `influence zone'. These areas will be allowed an additional floor area ratio (FAR) and height of 50%, depending on the locality and the zone where the property is located.

The MPD 2021 does propose redevelopment along the Metro corridor but the redevelopment ought to be zone-specific as land needs to be aggregated before high rises can come up and this might not be possible in areas that are already developed, says Ajay Dabas, cofounder, Delhimasterplan.com “For a high rise to be built, services would have to be augmented in an area of four hectares around the structure. There has to be sufficient open space near the buildings before permission can be sought for redevelopment,“ says AK Jain, former commissioner (planning) DDA.

“The MPD allows buildings to be only 15 metres high. If someone wants to build a high rise, the ground coverage of the building has to be less. Increased FAR can also mean that instead of going vertical, the building can cover more ground area and build more rooms per floor,“ he says.



-HT

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Pool resources to create value

Delhi's Master Plan allows plot owners to combine their individual properties and redevelop them into apartments

he Master Plan of Delhi 2021 (MPD) has a provision for the cluster block Tapproach which is about existing plot owners can pool in their individual properties and redevelop them into apartments with better amenities and greater floor area ratio (FAR).

The MPD also has provisions to encourage redevelopment through private participation -to redevelop either single units or through amalgamation. It also calls for voluntary participative development in rural areas. The cluster block approach allows plot owners to pool in their properties to arrive at the magic number of 3000 sq m, the minimum requirement as far as the size of the plot is concerned. Likewise, for tapping into the land in villages, unauthorised colonies and resettlement colonies, the MPD envisages a policy for 2000 sq m.

The Master Plan also seeks to incentivise the redevelopment process. “To incentivise and redevelop, a maximum overall FAR of 50% over and above the existing permissible FAR on individual plots will be allowed subject to a maximum of 400. Higher FAR shall not be permissible in redevelopment of Lutyens' Bungalow Zone, Civil Lines bungalow areas and monument regulated zone,“ it says.

The beneficiary would be the end-user who would get products at the ideal price, while the developer would benefit from faster cash flow.

The land owner derives capital appreciation of his land assets.

Overall, a win-win situation for all.

As per the scheme, redevelopment and renewal is to be identified on the basis of the presence of physical features such as the Metro, roads, drains, high-tension lines and control zones such as monuments and heritage areas. In short, this means that there should be adequate infrastructure and the area under consideration should not be close to a heritage site.

What this translates to is that if four families together have plots measuring a total of 3000 sq m which they wish to redevelop into multi-storey apartments with better amenities, they will be permitted 50% FAR. So, if the current FAR is 1.2, they may be allowed 1.8 under the new norms.

Height will vary according to the area where redevelopment takes place. When the same is applied to village land, existing abadi areas under Lal Dora etc, one could fathom the supply of affordable housing projects within many villages like Kanjhawla and Bamnoli. In other words, villagers can amalgamate their extended Lal Dora plots to create housing projects, with better amenities, facilities and quality of life.

As per the MPD, the government's redevelopment efforts are targeted at unauthorised, resettlement and rehabilitation colonies but are more likely to happen in areas where large contiguous plots are available, places which may allow for easy aggregation of 3000 sq m land parcels.

-HT

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Farm side story

There is no dearth of buyers for farmhouses even though prices jumped sharply after the extension of amnesty to those with unauthorised construction

armhouse owners in Delhi would have been overjoyed when the Parliament recently passed the National Capital of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions), Second Bill 2011, FProvisions), Second Bill 2011, to make special provisions for the city for a further three years beginning January 1 this year. This extends the earlier act that was valid till last December. In simple terms, the new act extends by three years the amnesty provided by the previous one to farmhouse owners who faced action for unauthorised construction on their land and against acquisition of their farmhouses under any earlier notification.

According to a survey conducted by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) a few years ago, there were 2800 farmhouses on about 7500 acres of land in the city. By last year, there were an estimated 3000-plus farmhouses spread over 10,000 acres of land. In the past two decades, the authorities notified about 5000 acres of land for acquisition in 13 villages. The farmhouses that were on the notified land stood to be affected.

The proposed acquisition matter was challenged in court. In 2009, the court held that the land could be acquired. There was much protest against the move for acquisition following which the government provided protection to the farmhouses with the rider that nothing was to change till the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) formulated a proper policy in consultation with the stakeholders. The deadline for this was December-end. The recent act extends this by three years.

Farmhouse owners were delighted last year when the government had tried to usher in a farmhouse policy that provided for regularisation of all farmhouses including those with unauthorised construction or those on notified land.

The then draft policy allowed farmhouses a built up area of 30% against the earlier 1% limitation. The greatest bounty that the draft provided was permission for farmhouses of specified sizes to have fitness centres, non-invasive health and naturopath clinics, amusement parks and resorts, among other things.

However, the draft was emphatically shot down by non-official members of the DDA comprising MLAs and municipal councilors from the Congress and the BJP. The members labelled and decried the draft as a shocking move for the benefit of farmhouse owners, many of whom are the rich and powerful.

As the draft was then seemingly shelved and a farmhouse policy is awaited, the government's extension of amnesty for another three years did spell relief to the farmhouse owners in as much as that at least no action would be taken against unauthorised construction and that no land will be acquired.

Not all the non-official members of the DDA though are impressed by the extension of the amnesty. One of the nonofficial members, BJP MLA Harsh Vardhan, who is also former BJP Delhi president, said that the government ought to have framed a clear policy. Why just postpone a decision and keep the sword hanging on those affected?
The government needs to factor in the requirements for implementing the Master Plan and pave the way to build necessary infrastructure even if it means acquiring land for roads and other public benefit projects, he said.

Another non-official member, Congress MLA Subhash Chopra, who is also former Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president, said the basic priority are the poorer sections, so the authorities should formulate schemes that would benefit them. The government should not drag its feet in formulating policies, he said.

Meanwhile, the price of farmhouses and farmhouse land has risen to unexpected heights. This is especially so in the wake of the recently passed bill that extends the amnesty period. Farmhouse owners who faced the prospect of action against unauthorised construction in their properties or possible acquisition were the ones who most benefited.

Since this also lifted the cloud of uncertainity on the fate of such properties, the prices appreciated enormously. A real estate agent Sandeep Chaudhury of Sagar Properties says that the price of farmhouses and farmland has grown three times what it was even six months ago. In West End Green in Rajokri, a two-and-half acre farmhouse could cost around R100 crore, he cited an example.

Interestingly even though prices have sharply climbed, there are no dearth of buyers.
A factor that has added to the upswing in prices is the low availability of farmhouse properties on sale. Real estate agents attribute two reasons for this pattern. One, farmhouses are owned by the super rich who do not really need the money. Second, those farmhouse owners who want to make a profit by selling their properties are awaiting the implementation of the Master Plans's provision that permits a farmhouse on one acre of land. Till now farmhouses are only permissible on a minimum of two-and-half acres.

Once it becomes legal to have farmhouses on a smaller piece of land, many owners might want to carve out one-acre plots out of their farmhouse land and sell them separately and make much more money.

So, the farmhouses enjoy a charmed position in the list of the most prime real estate holdings.


The writer is a senior columnist

-HT

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बेसमेंट निर्माण के लिए नियम लागू

नई दिल्ली। उपराज्यपाल ने मास्टर प्लान-2021 में संशोधन की प्रक्रिया पूरी होने से पहले ही एमसीडी के सुझाव मानने शुरू कर दिए हैं। उपराज्यपाल ने एमसीडी के बेसमेंट बनाने की शर्तें तय करने के सुझाव को लागू कर दिया है। यह सुझाव उसने मास्टर प्लान में शामिल करने के लिए भेजा था। एमसीडी को उम्मीद है कि उसके अन्य सुझावों को भी मास्टर प्लान में संशोधन होने से पहले ही अमलीजामा पहना दिया जाएगा। एमसीडी ने मास्टर प्लान में संशोधन के लिए एक दर्जन सुझाव उपराज्यपाल और केंद्रीय शहरी विकास मंत्रालय को भेजे थे।

एमसीडी के अनुसार, बेसमेंट बनाने के दौरान साथ वाले प्लाटों की ओर दो मीटर जगह छोड़नी होगी। बशर्ते कि प्लाटों में मकान नहीं बना हो। ऐसा नहीं करने पर बेसमेंट नहीं बनाने दिया जाएगा। इसके अलावा, बेसमेंट की छत जमीन से एक मीटर ऊंची बनानी होगी। इससे कम छत वाले बेसमेंट को सील कर दिया जाएगा। इस संबंध में उपराज्यपाल के आदेश मिलने पर एमसीडी ने सर्कुलर जारी कर दिया है। इसे भवन उपनियमों में भी शामिल कर दिया गया है। उपराज्यपाल की इस पहल से एमसीडी अधिकारी काफी खुश हैं। उनका मानना है कि जल्द ही स्पेशल एरिया एवं गांवों में मकानों के नक्शे पास करने की समस्या का भी समाधान हो जाएगा। इसी तरह गेस्ट हाउसों को नियमित करने का भी फैसला हो जाएगा।
मास्टर प्लान-2021 में बेसमेंट बनाने का प्रावधान तो है, लेकिन उसके निर्माण की शर्तों का कोई उल्लेख नहीं है। इस कारण लोग सुविधानुसार बेसमेंट बना रहे हैं। इस कारण आए दिन बिल्डिंग गिरने, बिल्डिंग झुकने और उनमें दरार आने के मामले प्रकाश में आ रहे हैं।
•मास्टर प्लान 2021 में संशोधन की प्रक्रिया अभी पूरी नहीं
•साथ वाले प्लाटों की ओर छोड़नी होगी दो मीटर जगह
•पास में मकान नहीं बना होने पर ही कर सकेंगे निर्माण

-Amar Ujala