New Delhi, June 17 (APAC Media): The central government is set to develop four new greenfield cities, to be known as ‘Namo Cities’, across the National Capital Region (NCR) as part of the Regional Plan 2041.
The initiative aims to promote balanced regional development, reduce pressure on existing urban centres, and support the NCR’s rapidly growing population.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) chaired by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal.
Four Greenfield Cities Planned Under Regional Plan 2041
Announcing the decision, Union Minister Manohar Lal said four greenfield cities will be developed under the Regional Plan 2041 framework.
The meeting was attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, and urban development ministers from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Greenfield cities are entirely new urban settlements developed on previously undeveloped land. Unlike city expansion or redevelopment projects, these cities are planned from the ground up with integrated infrastructure, including roads, housing, public transport systems, utilities, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and commercial zones.
However, the government has not announced the locations of the proposed cities. The proposed cities are expected to be developed within NCR districts spread across Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Manohar Lal said states will submit proposals for potential sites, following which four cities will be selected through a competitive challenge-based process.
He added that the Centre will provide Rs 5,000 crore for the development of the new urban centres.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said states have already been invited to submit proposals for developing greenfield cities along Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors.
RRTS Network to Drive Urban Expansion
The proposed Namo Cities are expected to be closely linked with the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), which has been designed to improve connectivity across NCR through semi-high-speed rail corridors.
Currently, the Namo Bharat train operates at speeds of up to 160 kmph on sections of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor.
Eight RRTS Corridors Proposed
The Functional Plan on Transport for NCR-2032 proposes eight RRTS corridors:
- Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut
- Delhi-Gurugram-Rewari-Alwar
- Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat
- Delhi-Faridabad-Ballabhgarh-Palwal
- Delhi-Bahadurgarh-Rohtak
- Delhi-Shahdara-Baraut
- Ghaziabad-Khurja
- Ghaziabad-Hapur
The proposed Namo Cities are envisioned as integrated urban ecosystems featuring residential neighbourhoods, commercial districts, industrial clusters and logistics hubs.
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