Haryana starts plans to develop Gurugram 2.0

The new urban centre is proposed to come up on about 50,000 hectares of 159 villages of Rewari, Gurgaon and Mewat.

Back in the saddle, the Haryana government is sketching the blue print of a “Dream City”, an urban settlement flanking Gurugram in the south. Conceived to ease pressures of urbanization on Delhi and Gurugram, the proposed city is being touted as Gurugram 2.0.

The new urban centre is proposed to come up on about 50,000 hectares of 159 villages of Rewari, Gurgaon and Mewat, officials said. The city would be developed as a Smart City with a comfortable living environment – shaded streets and ample space of pedestrians.

A meeting of the core group comprising top officials of Town and Country Planning, Industries, Urban Local Bodies, Development and Panchayat departments and Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority was held in October before the assembly elections to seek inputs on the draft interim report prepared by the project consultant, AECOM India Pvt Ltd. The master plan of the new city was being worked out, officials said, with an eye on the year 2040. AECOM had also conducted a kick off and inception meeting of the project in May 2019 which was chaired by Rajesh Khullar, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister.

“The new city adjoining Gurugram is a major step towards planned urbanization along the KMP expressway and alleviating pressures on the existing urban centres in the region,’’ said an official.

Outgoing Additional Chief Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Devender Singh said that the government plans a comprehensive review of the project soon. “The suggestions of the core group members will be incorporated before the next round of deliberations,’’ Singh said.

He said the proposed new city adjoining Gurugram was a part of state government’s larger plan to set up five cities along the alignment of KMP expressway in the national capital region (NCR). A Panchgram Development Authority will be set up to fast track the projects. The new cities will act as new urban centres and also open opportunities for trade and commerce.

“A draft Bill was presented to the Council of Ministers earlier this year. Following suggestions from the ministers, it is being reshaped and will be put up before the cabinet again,’’ Singh said.

As per the AECOM report, the planning of the “Dream City” presented several opportunities that can be leveraged to make it an emerging economic growth centre.

“The new city will be strategically located with direct access from multiple roads and railway network. To make the city livable, adequate land would be earmarked for public facilities and amenities like universities, colleges, schools, institutional areas, public officers, open spaces, forests, stadiums and parks,’’ said a Haryana official.

Issues like seismic vulnerability, water scarcity, transportation would be kept in mind during the planning stages. Besides, the development and planning strategy would consider the existing villages and towns to ensure a reciprocal relationship between urban and rural areas.

The consultant’s report said that in the first stage of planning, an extensive process of analyzing baseline data including the physical site survey was carried out. “The consultants have identified development and no development zones, done land suitability analysis, assessment of potential development and growth directions and prepared three feasible spatial alternatives,’’ said an official.

HT