(This story originally appeared in

on Jul 12, 2012)

NOIDA: The Master Plan 2021 earlier provided for only 5% housing for EWS and LIG categories, but now the authority has increased it to 20-25%. The decision was taken after considering the fact that Greater Noida being an industrial township will have to fulfill the future demand for affordable housing units for employees working in industries.

Apart from housing, the revised master plan has marked sites and locations for solid waste disposal, sewage treatment plants (STP), expressways, Metro, railway station and bus terminals on the land-use plan.

The Authority, in its earlier Master Plan, had proposed for development of Greater Noida with a projected population density of 54 persons per hectare, however this proposal was turned down by the planning board. This projected population density varied with what is laid down in the NCR Regional Plan 2021.

Making changes to the land-use plan of Greater Noida Authority, the NCRPB has deleted the area demarcated as proposed future urbanisable areas adjacent to Greater Noida in the earlier master plan. "The locations for high-tech cities shown on the land-use plan have also been deleted," said the official.

To ensure sustainable development in the Greater Noida region, the planning board has directed the Authority to prepare an Environmental Master Plan. This plan will have to be an integral part of Master Plan 2021. To maintain optimum green cover, the planning board had suggested the Authority to maintain minimum green area in Greater Noida at 16% of total urbanisable area. The authority, which had earlier also included 'institutional greens' under the ambit of total green cover, will now ensure that this category is excluded in calculating total green cover of Greater Noida. Out of a total urbanisable area of 22,255 hectares, the minimum green area to be maintained by the Authority is 3,580 hectares. This green cover will be preserved and protected and not subjected to any land-use change in the future.

In the earlier master plan, Greater Noida Authority had included industries engaged in production of sulphuric acid, nitric acid, caustic soda and pesticides within the list of permissible industries. Upon directions from the board, the Authority has deleted the names of these polluting industries from the list of industries that can be set up in the region.