The Regional Plan 2041 for the National Capital Region has proposed the development of up to eight new greenfield townships and a high-speed transport network aimed at enabling travel between Delhi and major NCR cities within 30 minutes.

The draft plan, which will be discussed in a meeting of the NCR Planning Board (NCRPB) on June 16, outlines a long-term strategy for decentralised urban growth through the creation of new economic and residential hubs across Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.

The plan emphasises that new settlements should be self-sustaining and equipped with modern civic infrastructure, drawing inspiration from advanced smart city projects developed under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, the plan stated.

A key feature of the plan is “30-minute NCR”, under which high-speed rail systems and heli-taxis would significantly reduce travel times across the NCR region.

It calls for exploring the feasibility of fast rail links connecting Delhi with major NCR urban centres within half an hour, while aiming for one-hour connectivity through conventional rail services and two to three-hour access by road.

The regional plan favoured institutions across NCR to create required housing facilities, preferably on their institutional land in order to cater to their housing needs through residential apartments, hostels and transit housing.

These institutions may be allowed to use 15-20 per cent of their allotted land for housing students, staff and workers.

The objective is to promote walk-to-work and walk-to-study ecosystems and reduce dependence on long-distance commuting.

With projections indicating that the Delhi-NCR region could become the world’s largest urban agglomeration by 2030, surpassing Tokyo, the plan estimates that more than 3 crore additional residents will need to be accommodated over the next 15 years, it stated.

To meet the demand for housing, transport and civic infrastructure, investments of around Rs 20 lakh crore may be required.