Delhi Metro, the lifeline of the national capital, is set for an infrastructure upgrade! The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) plans to develop the areas around five Delhi Metro stations in the national capital, states an HT report. This plan is part of its pilot project to implement the revised transit-oriented development (TOD) policy, which has been placed in the public domain for valuable feedback, the report said. The Delhi Metro stations which have been selected for the pilot project are Dwarka Sector 21, Dwarka Sector 18, Mukundpur, Mayur Vihar Extension, Sarojini Nagar and INA (combined). A DDA official was quoted saying that these metro stations have been selected based upon high footfall and a good scope for real estate development.

In simple words, TOD is a form of urban development which escalates the amount of commercial, residential, leisure and business space within walking distance of a public transport. With this, it aims to increase the ridership of public transport by reducing the number of private vehicles and promoting sustainable urban development.

According to a senior DDA official, the work on the detailed plan for commercial, housing and public facilities will be planned around these selected stations. The work will be taken up after the TOD policy is notified. Suggestions and objections from the public have been invited after which the policy will be notified.

According to the report, the revised policy focuses on high-density, mixed-use developments around transit nodes, instead of a dedicated corridor. The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), which has prepared the policy, has eliminated the provision for the development of a TOD corridor. According to Jagan Shah, director of NIUA, the focus is on development around transport nodes and the areas around selected metro stations as per the TOD norms. The revised policy allows a floor-area ratio (FAR) of up to 500, as against the 400 which was proposed in the previous policy.

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