National Capital Region (NCR) India: articles about
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Contents |
Territory
The NCR includes 19 districts
Uttar Pradesh
Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Meerut, Baghpat, Hapur and Bulandshahr are the six UP districts included in NCR.
Healthcare/ Hospitals in Delhi/ the NCR
NCR patients head for Delhi hospitals
Dipak Kumar Dash TNN 2013/07
New Delhi: Delhi’s suburbs seem to be pushing the poor from these regions to the national Capital’s hospitals. A study conducted by the National Capital Regional Planning Board (NCRPB) shows how there is a huge gap between demand and supply of beds in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan sub-regions in the NCR. It is as much as 80% in UP, Haryana (70%) and Rajasthan (78%) subregions.
Out of the total 65,803 inpatient beds available across the NCR, government hospitals account for only 48%. The NCRPB report, which is part of the Draft Regional Plan-2021, says the average occupancy of beds in government hospitals is 61%, whereas in private hospitals it is 47%. “Although the number of beds is more in the private sector, the rate of occupancy is low mainly because of affordability,” the report says.
The report suggests that the NCR cities — other than Delhi — have done less to increase availability of hospital beds that patients can avail at affordable charges. Only Delhi has more beds in government hospitals than in private hospitals. In case of UP sub-region, the total number of beds in private hospital is almost double at 6,433 as compared to government hospitals. In Haryana sub-region, private hospitals have 6,280 beds against 4,606 in government facilities.
According to the apex planning board of the region, the entire NCR has 25 multi-specialty hospitals, with Delhi having the highest (14), UP (6) and Haryana (5).
The report also points to how maximum patients are coming to Delhi from the nearby regions. NCRPB had carried out analysis of 11 referral hospitals to assess the existing infrastructure and to study the profile of patients. It found that reputed superspecialty hospitals in Delhi such as AIIMS and GB Pant hospital have larger share of patients coming from outside the national Capital, which is pegged at around 40%. Safdarjung Hospital and tertiary healthcare facilities such as Guru Teg Bahadur receive 5%-10% non-NCR patients, while the largest share (60%-70%) is still from Delhi.
The study also found that 61% of the patients came to referral hospitals since treatment was unavailable elsewhere, while 26% felt the referral hospitals had better healthcare facilities.
Infrastructure
It’s still a next-to-capital region
Dipak Kumar Dash TNN 2013/07/03
New Delhi: The pathetic state of infrastructure and poor quality of life in a dozen districts such as Hapur, Bulandshahr and Mewat falling under National Capital Region (NCR) even after 25 years of their inclusion show how the concept of “integrated & holistic” development of the region has failed. While politicians and bureaucrats maintain greater growth of the NCR would help reduce burden on Delhi, planners tell how states are just setting up towns on the capital’s periphery —termed as ribbon development.
“This is just squatting on Delhi’s borders. Why are the states allowing more real estate development on the borders of Delhi if they are not driving the realty growth? They must develop the entire state if they are so interested in reducing stress on Delhi’s infrastructure,” said H R Suri, former president of Institute of Town Planners India.
Sewage
Infrastructure available in the existing NCR (excluding Mahendragarh, Bhiwani and Bharatpur) also proves how the NCR tag has done little good for several towns. According to Draft Revised Regional Plan-2021, out of 108 towns, only 33 have “partial” sewage system. In UP sub-region only six out of 63 towns are partially covered while in Haryana sub-region 24 out of 35 towns are partially covered. In Rajasthan sub-region two towns are partially covered out of the total nine. “NCR is way behind the MoUD bench mark of 100% coverage, though it’s better than national average of 12.2%,” it says.
Solid wastes
It’s no better in solid waste generation and management either. NCR generated about 13,199 million tones solid waste per day in 2011. By 2021, it would increase to 19,238 million tones while there is increasing scarcity of landfill sites. As far as water supply in rural areas is concerned, states need to work a little more. The document says while 63% rural areas in Rajasthan sub-region are fully covered, it’s little better at 64% in Haryana.
All these indicators also raise questions on the success of NCR Planning Board (NCRPB) in achieving its goal to “evolve harmonized policies” for land use control and infrastructure development to avoid “any haphazard development”. The individual development plans need to conform to the regional plan and the board has the mandate to ensure states follow this.
However, as land is a state subject, NCRPB has little control on how the local authorities push development in their areas. Even the board officials admit how it’s almost impossible to go through each of the 180 Master Plans that they receive. “We have no punitive power. But as and when we come to know of any violation, we stop providing soft loan to that state or town,” one of them said.
The official said the real issue is not “getting teeth”, but getting every state on board by coordination and collaboration. NCRPB sources said they have been doing the “best possible” within the framework. “We have a regional plan and all sub-regional plans prepared by states need our approval. We ensure these plans by states follow norms for harmonious growth,” the source said.
Vegetation (‘green cover’) and water bodies lost to urbanisation (1999-2012)
Green cover equal to 23% of Delhi lost in 13 yrs
Dipak Kumar Dash TNN 2013/07/04
New Delhi: Green cover and water bodies almost equal to a quarter (23%) of Delhi’s area have been lost to development works and rabid urbanization in the National Capital Region (NCR) in the past 13 years.
The first comparative satellite-based study of change in land use in NCR has shown that between 1999 and 2012, the region lost 32,769 hectares of green areas and 1,464 hectares of water bodies, both crucial for sustainability and quality of life in the region.
During the same period, the study found that built-up area in NCR grew 34%, bringing 95,803 hectares of land into the construction zone.
The study was conducted by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) at the instance of the NCR Planning Board (NCRPB). It’s most striking finding was the substantial loss of green cover in Delhi and areas of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Of the total loss of 32,769 hectares of green cover, the maximum loss was recorded in NCR areas of UP (17,386 hectares), followed by Haryana at 8,716 hectares. ‘Green’ Delhi too lost 733 hectares of forest/ green land during this period, according to the draft regional plan prepared by the NCRPB.
The other alarming indicator of unsustainable growth in NCR was the loss of water bodies, reduced by 1,464 hectares. Again, the maximum loss took place in UP sub-region at 934 hectares. The Haryana sub-region bucked the trend, increasing the area under water bodies by 261 hectares.
The NRSC report also shows that environmentally fragile areas such as the Yamuna riverbed, wetlands, ridge areas and forests were being steadily usurped for development activities.
The UP and Haryana subregions, which include Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad, showed a massive increase in built-up area during the study period. According to the report, the maximum increase took place in the UP sub-region, where built-up area jumped from 83,214 hectares in 1999 to 1.24 lakh hectares in 2012.
BARE NCR
NCR lost green cover and water bodies equal to 23% of Delhi’s area in 13 years
34% increase in constructed area during same period
Maximum green cover loss in NCR areas in UP, followed by Haryana and Delhi, which lost 733 hectares
NCR areas in UP also registered maximum growth in built-up area (up by 41,000ha), followed closely by Haryana (38,000ha)
Bucking the trend, Rajasthan sub-region showed increase in land under agriculture
’Compensatory plantations’ in villages around Delhi
Vanishing city greens show up in villages
Jayashree Nandi, TNN Jul 8, 2013
About 40km from the heart of Delhi, mini forests thrive inside the Rewla Khanpur village. When The Times of India visited the area, we were treated to the sight of nilgai grazing and birds chirping; the trees, though not fully grown, were luxuriant enough to provide shade.
Mini forests have come up in Rewla Khanpur and other villages like Kharkhari and Ujwa in Najafgarh to compensate for the lakhs of trees felled in the city to facilitate infrastructure projects like the Metro, highways and flyovers. About 48,000 trees were cut to make way for the Delhi Metro network.
Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994 says every user agency felling trees for a project will have to fund planting of 10 saplings. The villagers don't mind the plantations. Forest officers fear that very soon there will be no land left for such plantations. Between four deputy conservator of forests (DCF), they receive at least a thousand applications for afforestation projects by user agencies. DMRC will divert some forest land for Phase 3, and afforestation will be done by the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for Delhi. Plantations are also being done in Nangloi and Alipur ranges of the west and northwest districts.
"Plantation in an area like the central ridge is difficult owing to the preponderance of keekar trees, which inhibit the growth of other species. Land in the villages is free from such constraints and is usually fertile," says a forest officer. Najafgarh also has some young plantations, about three years old. Unlike manicured plantations where saplings are planted in rows, these plantations are developed like natural forests.
"The idea is create a forest-like environment so that there is room for fauna. Many birds make nests in the grasslands, also used by reptiles, so we don't prune the foliage," . Only hardy saplings can withstand extreme weather and become a part of the forest. Another difficulty is that plantations are found in patches.
Most of DMRC's compensatory plantations are in Najafgarh. Agencies pay Rs 28,000 to the forest department for planting 10 trees. If they manage to do half of the plantation, Rs 14,000 is refunded. "Some of these plantations are excellent, while some are poorly done. There is no space in left in Delhi and planting 10 saplings for every tree is very ambitious
Farm use up in Rajasthan sub-region
NCR areas of Haryana, which have the highest concentration of land under built-up area at 35.46%, were a close second. The built-up area there grew from 93,996 hectares to 1.32 lakh hectares.
The Rajasthan sub-region was the only area under NCR which actually registered an increase in the area under agriculture use by 23,966 hectares. In contrast, Haryana saw the highest conversion of agriculture land (17,539 hectares) for non-agricultural use.
The report says that the increase in built up area mainly came from conversion of agriculture land, green areas, water bodies and waste land. It says in the absence of proper legislation to control land use in the agricultural (rural) zone, the conversion of these areas for use by industries and educational institutions has continued unabated.
The draft regional plan asks states to follow stricter norms to protect and increase green cover. The plan proposes that expressways be lined with 100m wide green buffer zones on each side. It recommends a 60m green belt for national highways and 30m for state highways and railway lines.
NCR Planning Board (NCRPB)
NCRPB soft loans
UP shows no interest in soft loans for its districts
Dipak Kumar Dash & Purusharth Aradhak TNN 2013/07/03
New Delhi/ Noida: It has a third of all NCR districts yet, surprisingly, Uttar Pradesh has been a reluctant borrower of concessional funds meant for their development. And depending on whom you ask the question, both the state government and the regional planning board get the blame for this state of affairs.
UP has six of the 19 districts comprising the National Capital Region (NCR) but accounts for only 11% of the soft loan provided by the NCR planning board. Haryana, in contrast, has taken 70% of the funds disbursed so far.
Sources in the Union urban development ministry say UP has shown little interest in pitching its projects to NCRPB for availing low-interest loans to augment and create infrastructure. In 2011-12, the board funded 35 projects—30 from Haryana but none from UP. Last year, NCRPB released funds for 23 projects, of which 22 were from Haryana and one from Rajasthan.
The board now offers loans for infrastructure at 7.25% interest with a 0.25 percentage point rebate for prompt repayment. “
An official said UP may not be interested in the NCRPB loans as the amount is small relative to its annual plan. “Moreover, the state can directly tap long-term soft loans from multilateral bodies such as Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank.”
