New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) Delhi’s Master Plan-2047 has proposed changes in urban planning to prepare the city for pandemics and disasters, including larger open spaces, decentralised workspaces, additional housing options for migrants and designated evacuation and refuge areas.
Under its pandemic preparedness measures, the plan notified on Thursday proposes a planned mix of compatible land uses and vertical mixing within plots so that homes, workplaces and services are available in close proximity.
It also calls for decentralised workspaces, including co-working spaces, shared workspaces within slum rehabilitation projects and support for home-based work.
The plan proposes large green areas, open areas and public plazas in new developments and through planned regeneration to support social distancing during pandemics.
It also seeks to expand affordable rental and ownership housing, worker housing and hostels for women and men to increase accommodation options for migrants. Community spaces and multi-facility plots, particularly in dense unplanned areas, could be repurposed during disasters.
For emergencies such as fires and earthquakes, dedicated evacuation spaces and refuge spots will be designated in all localities, particularly densely populated areas.
The evacuation spaces will be open-to-sky areas where people can gather during events such as fires and earthquakes and could include parks, multi-purpose grounds and other open spaces.
The plan also allows resident welfare associations and local bodies to identify internal spaces as refuge spots, which could provide alternate locations for unhealthy or unwell residents during outbreaks of contagious diseases.
For emergency rescue and rapid disaster response through air ambulances, helipads may be suitably provided on the terraces of high-rise buildings and large hospitals, in accordance with the Unified Building Bye-Laws and other relevant regulations.
The plan adopts a three-pronged approach to reducing risks and vulnerabilities — mitigating the impact of disasters, preparing to respond through state-of-the-art resilient infrastructure and systems, and facilitating citizen awareness.
Its major focus areas include resilience to earthquakes, reducing vulnerability to fires and urban floods, and responding to other disasters and risks.
Delhi is located in seismic Zone IV, where earthquakes can cause high damage, and lies on the Mathura, Sohna and Delhi-Moradabad fault lines. The National Centre for Seismology’s Seismic Hazard Micro-zonation report has identified high, medium and low-risk zones in the city.
To reduce vulnerability and minimise loss of life and property from earthquakes, the plan proposes structural safety audits by building owners and concerned local bodies as per building bye-laws.
Such audits will be prioritised in high-risk zones, vulnerable localities, high-footfall public buildings, buildings housing response units such as fire, police and integrated control centres, and essential infrastructure.
It also calls for new buildings and structures to follow seismically compliant design guidelines, while measures such as base isolation and hydraulic dampeners may be adopted to make critical transport, water and fuel infrastructure more resilient.
Areas at risk of damage during natural disasters may be taken up for mandatory regeneration through retrofitting or reconstruction. Structural safety norms will apply to all categories of buildings, while open evacuation spaces will be provided in densely built areas through regeneration schemes.
On fire safety, the plan says buildings involving highly inflammable materials must obtain mandatory clearance from the Delhi Fire Service and adopt safety precautions. Such uses will not be permitted to be mixed with residential or public-semi-public functions.
In urban villages and other densely populated areas beyond the reach of regular fire tenders, alternative measures such as hydrant networks, mobile fire hydrants and other firefighting equipment may be explored. Buildings identified as vulnerable to fire will be retrofitted with fire prevention and mitigation measures, while fire safety norms will be followed across all categories of buildings.
The plan also identifies EV batteries as potential fire hazards and says their storage, charging and disposal should be managed according to government guidelines.
The Department of Power, local bodies and other agencies will jointly work to improve electrical safety in identified vulnerable areas, particularly the Walled City, urban villages and other dense areas, including by addressing exposed overhanging wires and cables on streets.
On urban flooding and waterlogging, the plan notes that their frequency and intensity have been rising in Delhi and proposes measures to augment green cover and promote water-sensitive urban design. It also calls for all natural and engineered drains to be kept free of obstructions and encroachments, with regular desilting and disposal of silt.
Local bodies may earmark parks and gardens in flood-prone areas to serve as flood sinks, while large-scale stormwater capture projects will be undertaken in the Yamuna floodplain with strict environmental compliance. PTI SGV NB
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