'Smart' city plan for Dwarka, Narela, Rohini.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will invite bids in the second week of August for building integrated cities with smart features at Dwarka, Narela and Rohini, sources said on Friday, following a review meeting chaired by Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra.

Developers for these projects, according to a senior official, will be selected by October this year. This, even as timelines for execution of various new projects by the DDA were firmed up at the meet, where DDA Vice-Chairman Uday Pratap Singh and other senior Ministry officials were in attendance.

Mr. Mishra, according to an official, urged the DDA to be “more proactive in making Delhi a world class Capital city” by focusing on development function, policy and process re-engineering. In addition, he stressed on the need for delivery of quality services and performance orientation.

“Progress of various projects and new initiatives will be reviewed once in every three years. For meeting the futuristic needs of the government and providing facilities that the private sector tends to ignore and catalysing a change in Delhi at par with neighbouring cities through signature development, the DDA has proposed to develop integrated cities with smart features on available vacant lands at Dwarka [200 hectares], Narela [218 hectares] and Rohini [259 hectares],” the official said.

The scope of work in this regard, the official added, has been defined to enable overall integration with the city, enhancing Delhi’s image, liveability, quality of life, value of existing and future assets of the DDA, and the residents of these proposed sub-cities.

Meanwhile, the DDA also agreed to start Yamuna bank development works over an area of 500 acres along the Old Railway Bridge-ITO barrage stretch by October 2.

“Works proposed to be taken up include enhancement of ecological features of the floodplains, creating a 300-metre wide green buffer from the river’s edge, 100-150 metre greenway along the road embankment, recreational areas along the greenway, desilting of storm water drains, creation of wetland systems, etc. A detailed plan in this regard will be prepared by August 15,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the DDA also agreed to start Yamuna bank development works over an area of 500 acres along the Old Railway Bridge-ITO barrage stretch by October 2.

“Works proposed to be taken up include enhancement of ecological features of the floodplains, creating a 300-metre wide green buffer from the river’s edge, 100-150 metre greenway along the road embankment, recreational areas along the greenway, desilting of storm water drains, creation of wetland systems, etc. A detailed plan in this regard will be prepared by August 15,” the official said.

THE HINDU