 (6).png)
1 day ago
3
ARTICLE AD BOX
Summary
The Regional Plan 2041 proposes setting up four new ‘Namo Cities’ in the NCR.
Union housing and urban affairs minister Manohar Lal on Tuesday announced the creation of four new cities to reduce pressure on the National Capital Region (NCR), comprising New Delhi and parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
With the NCR contributing about 7-8% of India’s gross domestic product and projected to be home to around 110 million people by 2041, Mint examines the Regional Plan 2041, which focuses on regional mobility—the metropolitan railway and the Regional Rapid Transit System—economic corridors, affordable housing, and environmental sustainability, including conservation of the Aravalli range.
What is the Regional Plan 2041?
The Regional Plan 2041, on which work began in 2021, is an urban development plan for the NCR that aims to create sustainable urban areas free of congestion and well-connected by public transport.
The plan, approved by Manohar Lal, Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, and Rajasthan urban development minister Jhabar Singh Kharra on Tuesday, succeeds the 2021 plan. It will include setting up four new ‘Namo Cities’ in the NCR by 2041.
What are the key goals under the new plan?
The four new cities will be developed after the NCR state governments submit proposals to the NCR Planning Board. Alongside these greenfield developments, older settlements—including brownfield towns and villages—are likely to be redeveloped.
A key objective of the plan is to create a more connected NCR, enabling faster travel through public transport networks, particularly metro and RRTS.
The plan also places significant emphasis on protecting the Aravalli range. While no fresh surveys of the Aravallis are proposed, Manohar Lal said the mountain range would remain a priority in efforts to build a greener and more environmentally sustainable NCR.
Other focus areas include affordable housing, sanitation, water supply, power-grid strengthening, digital infrastructure and social services.
What is the National Capital Region Planning Board?
The board, comprising the Union housing and urban affairs minister and representatives of all NCR states, including Delhi, is empowered by the National Capital Region Planning Board Act, 1985. The legislation established both the board and the NCR as a distinct region for integrated urban planning.
As India's capital and a major employment centre, New Delhi has long drawn migrants from across the country. To ease mounting pressure on the city, governments encouraged the growth of satellite towns in neighbouring states. Those centres, notably Gurugram and Noida, have since emerged as thriving urban and commercial hubs.
This is where the board’s regional plans come into play. The plans, especially the latest, envision a massive urban area aimed at decongesting the national capital.
Why is decongesting Delhi important?
Delhi’s population density is 11,320 persons per square kilometre, against a national average of 382, according to 2011 census data. This density has led to various urban issues.
Over the last two months, Delhi has seen a spate of fires, caused by electrical short circuits or appliance failures, claiming many lives. Urban planning expert Debolina Kundu, director at the National Institute of Urban Affairs, told Mint earlier that Delhi’s roads are, in many cases, not wide enough for fire engines to reach the place of incidence.
The NCR is also infamous for air pollution, with Delhi recording air quality index values above 400 (severe category) for multiple days during the October-January period. Delhi's worsening air quality is often linked to vehicular emissions, stubble burning, industrial pollution and construction dust, compounded by meteorological conditions that trap pollutants over the city, especially during winter months.
About the Author
Manas Pimpalkhare
Manas is a New Delhi-based journalist with Mint, where he covers the intersection of economic policy, industry, and emerging sectors shaping India’s growth. He writes on government regulation, manufacturing, and the clean energy transition, with particular depth in areas such as electric mobility, battery ecosystems, and rare-earth supply chains. He has written on India’s efforts to build domestic capacity in electric vehicles and energy storage, as well as the broader push to reduce import dependence and strengthen supply chain resilience. His reports are not limited to capturing the headline; they also aim to explain complex policy simply.<br><br>Manas has studied law in Pune, the city where he grew up, followed by a business journalism diploma from the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai. In his almost two years of being a correspondent for Mint, Manas has reported as major wars unfolded, a general election brought surprises for both the ruling party and the Opposition, and three Union Budget announcements where India has charted its economic course for the days to come.<br><br>On vacation, Manas plays bass guitar with his friends in Space & Co, their jam-rock band. He also likes cats, and occasions of late-night snacking.
English (US) ·