New Delhi, April 7 – Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, unveiled a plan on Tuesday for the development of affordable housing – with a built-up area of up to 100 square meters – along the Delhi Metro and RRTS corridors, thereby reducing the need for the creation of unauthorized colonies that offer low-cost housing.
Addressing a press conference, Manohar Lal said, under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the city's legacy issues will be addressed, and the foundation for a future-ready city, as envisioned in the Delhi 2021 Master Plan, will be established through the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) concept.
He stated that the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Regulations and Charges, 2026, build upon this vision to promote planned, sustainable, and transit-linked urban growth, particularly along metro corridors, thereby enhancing accessibility and enabling the creation of affordable housing stock.
Manohar Lal said that under the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) concept, the Delhi Development Authority and private builders will develop small, affordable houses, and these dwellings will be sold at market-determined rates.
He stated that under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Delhi is witnessing a new phase of planned and inclusive urban development, aimed at addressing legacy issues while building a future-ready city.
The new policy ensures the provision of affordable housing in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, and sustainable mobility and optimized land utilization through compact mixed-use development, leveraging existing and upcoming public transit infrastructure and a large number of users.
The current policy has a corridor-based approach and opens up an area of 207 sq.km (500 meters on either side of Metro corridors and 500 meter radius of Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS)/Railway Stations) primarily for the provision of affordable housing through planned development and redevelopment.
Out of this 207 sq.km, about 80 sq.km of an area under Land Pooling, Low Density Residential Area and Unauthorised Colonies, which was excluded in the earlier TOD Policy, has now been brought under the purview of the new TOD Policy, said the Union Minister.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's Transit Oriented Development (TOD) policy provides flexibility and allows for development along the operational as well as proposed metro corridors/ RRTS/Railway Stations, etc.
This will allow TOD development to be commensurate with the construction of the new metro corridors. New affordable housing and related infrastructure can come up in a planned way in such areas. This will also ensure enhanced metro ridership and better livability, she said.
The Policy enables the development of smaller plots of 2000 sq.m under TOD provisions.
A Maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of up to 500 is permitted in TOD Zones on plot sizes of 2000 sq.m and above, with an 18-meter road. Out of this, 65 per cent of the total permissible FAR has been mandatorily earmarked for residential use with dwelling units with a built-up area of 100 sq m, thereby providing for affordable housing along the metro corridor.
The policy envisages a high-density, mixed-use planned development specifically aiming at the creation of affordable housing along all metro corridors, said Manohar Lal.
