New Delhi: The Delhi Development Authority will implement the south Delhi greenway master plan, seeking to transform nearly 900 acres of derelict landscape under its jurisdiction into beautifully connected parkways and heritage trail networks, the urban body said yesterday.
After reviewing the plan, Lt Governor Najeeb Jung has suggested DDA to implement the project through a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) with representatives from other agencies, such as PWD, the three MCDs, INTACH, ASI, DJB, IITs, NEERI, UTTIPEC and other departments of state and Central governments.
“The project envisages the cleaning up of the Barapullah drain originating near Said-ul-ajaib near Mehrauli and ending at the confluence with the River Yamuna near the Barapullah bridge.
Decentralised biological treatment facility all along the drain is the central idea of the entire eco-restoration project, which is being done with the help of environmental engineering experts,” the DDA said in a statement.
The current backyard of the city i.e. the dirty nallahs would be transformed into front-yard parks with jogging trails, exercising facilities for young and old, and recreation and play areas for children, it said.
“Approximately 900 acres of land would be opened up for walking and cycling, and creating pollution-free cycling highways in the city.
The greenway trail, connecting all public parks, along the drain, will combine the concepts of walk-to-work, bicycle-on-hire, safe routes to schools and convenient shopping in addition to providing new access routes to nearby metro & BRT stations,” it said.
Jung has appreciated the concept and initiative and said that the project should be taken up on a “mission mode” so that many much projects may be implemented in Delhi and replicated in other cities all over the country.
Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure Planning & Engineering Centre (UTTIPEC) will monitor the progress of the project every three months and brief the same to the Lt Governor, DDA said.
