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According to the National Capital Planning Board Act 1985, 25 districts in the adjoining states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan, as well as the National Capital Territory of Delhi, comprises the National Capital Region (NCR). The disastrous NCR Draft Plan 2041 threatens 70-80 percent of the Aravallis and other crucial natural ecosystems in India’s National Capital Region- consisting of Delhi, 14 districts in Haryana, 8 districts in Uttar Pradesh, and 2 districts in Rajasthan. A successor to the NCR Draft Plan 2021, the draft has been the object of various protests and opposition by the citizens of the NCR region since its inception. The draft would not only allow ecologically damaging activities like mining, construction, and commercialization to be permitted in the Aravalli range but also risk the lives of lakhs of citizens of the NCR region.
According to the World Air Quality Report prepared by IQAir, Delhi is the fourth most polluted region among the 50 most polluted cities in the world based on annual average PM2.5 levels in 2022. At a time when India has surpassed China as the most populated country in the world with an estimated population of 1.417 billion- with nearly 30 million residing in the NCR region- such plans should be implemented keeping in mind environmental concerns, that the current plan obviously seems to overlook.
The NCR Draft Plan 2041
Every 20 years, the NCR Planning Board forms a plan setting futuristic goals for the capital region that would include aspects of sustainable development, citizen-centric infrastructure, and seamless connectivity between different regions.
One of the biggest concerns regarding the plan is the exclusion of the Aravalli mountain range and tributaries of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers from the list of ‘Natural Conservation Zones’ (NCZ).
The Red Flags
- Replacement of ‘Natural Conservation Zone’ with ‘Natural Zone’
According to the Draft Regional Plan 2041, the ‘Natural Zone’ will comprise natural features such as mountains, hills, rivers, water bodies, and forests which are notified for conservation under central or state laws and recognized as such in land records. This goes in contrast with the NCR Draft Plan 2021 which states that all aravallis, forests, and water bodies in Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan are to be included in the NCZ. The replacement of the ‘Natural Conservation Zone’ under the 2021 Regional Plan with ‘Natural Zone’ in the Draft Regional Plan 2041, by dropping the term “Conservation” is a suspicious step as it signals that conservation is no longer important.
Almost 70 percent of the NCZ area under the 2021 regional plan will not be eligible to be part of the ‘Natural Zone’ under NCR Draft Plan 2041. This dilution would further allow the states to dilute their sub-regional plans. If implemented, it would invite severe implications for the region degrading the air quality, groundwater, forest cover, and wildlife habitat.
- Exclusion of the term the terms ‘Aravallis’ and ‘Forest Areas’
The terms were a part of the NCR Draft Plan 2021, but now they have been removed from the regional plan of 2041. This has raised concerns since the Aravallis are considered the green lungs of Delhi protecting the people from the deadly sand storms from the Thar Desert. The natural cracks and fissures in the Aravallis make it possible to collect almost 2 million liters of water per hectare in the ground every year. Hence, the range acts as a water recharge zone for the water-starved Gurgaon, Haryana, Faridabad, Delhi, and other NCR regions.
Illegal mining activities have already wiped out 31 Aravalli hills. At this point, it makes it even more important to conserve the forests which house more than 400+ species of native trees, shrubs, grasses, and herbs; 200+ native & migratory bird species, 100+ butterfly species, 20+ reptile species and 20+ mammal species including leopards, jackals, nilgais, porcupines, mongoose, civet cats as well as other wildlife like insects, amphibians, etc.
- Deletion of Forest cover target of 10%
The area under forest has declined from 4.02% reported in NCR Regional Plan 2021 to 3.27% of Draft Regional Plan 2041. The target “total forest cover proposed to be 10% of the total area of the region” of the NCR Regional Plan 2021 has been dropped from Draft Regional Plan 2041. The forest target needs to be ramped up and duly taken into consideration since they act as carbon sinks for the whole NCR region.
- No mention of Yamuna, Ganga, and tributaries of other rivers
NCR Regional Plan 2021 included rivers, tributaries, and their flood plains in the Natural Conservation Zone. However, the Draft Regional Plan 2041 has dropped the coverage of tributaries and flood plains. The act of deletion of Yamuna and Ganga from the newly proposed draft constitutes legal malice. Conservation of water bodies is of utmost importance for water security and the protection of aquatic life beneath.
The Uprise
To raise concerns about these steps undertaken in the NCR Draft Plan 2041, citizens have been gathering all across the NCR region to stage awareness campaigns and protests to revise the plan. From college and school students to working professionals and the older generation, everyone is requesting the authorities to make changes to the plan and involve experts to make the plan ecologically sound.
In September and October 2022, letters and signatures from more than 2,40,000 citizens across all 4 NCR states have asked for the removal of environmental dilutions in the ill-conceived NCR Draft Regional Plan 2041. Representations from many different stakeholders such as students, teachers, doctors, medical associations, Resident Welfare Associations, and environmental organizations have been physically submitted to the government authorities. Citizens from different regions have took to the streets to demand changes in the plan. It’s notable to see that even the younger generation is protesting against the plan. They are the future of tomorrow. The future they envision is one where they can walk, talk and carry out daily activities without fear of being at the mercy of climate change.
Take Action
Well, you might be convinced enough by this time to ask the question, “What can I do to stop this Draft plan from being implemented?”, “How can I take part in the movement to revise the Plan?”. Don’t worry, we have all the resources for you.
- Take part in the Tweetstorm addressed to raise concerns to the authorities. The tweetstorm is spearheaded by the Aravalli Bachao Movement, in support of Climate Front India, Let India Breathe, and Fridays For Future India. The tweetstorm will take place on 18th March 2023 from 4:00 PM IST to 6:00 PM IST where thousands of students, youngsters, and concerned citizens will be taking their objections to Twitter and demanding rampant changes in the NCR Draft plan 2041.
- Follow the Instagram page of ‘Aravalli Bachao’ and send a message on their page to be added to a temporary WhatsApp group
https://www.instagram.com/aravallibachao/
- Send an email to the concerned authorities. Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement along with Let India Breathe has launched this email campaign addressed to the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Environment, Chief Ministers of the 4 NCR states, NCR Planning Board, and other government authorities asking them to keep the original Natural Conservation Zone (NCZ) definitions and zoning provisions of the NCR Regional Plan 2021, which has been in force since 2005, intact as it protects the entire Aravalli range in Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan. This email also gives other objections to the NCR Draft Plan 2041 and urges the government to protect Delhi-NCR’s carbon sinks, green lungs, critical water recharge zones, and wildlife habitats.
https://www.letindiabreathe.org/v2/AravalliBachao
- Stay revamped with regular updates on the pages of Climate Front India, Let India Breathe, and Fridays For Future India.
- Share the posts of the tweetstorm in your friend circles and gather support for the movement. Here is the link to the Instagram post.
- Read more about the issue on the website of Aravalli Bachao and post a picture on your social media handles holding a relevant placard raising objections to the current NCR Draft Plan 2041. Here are some links to help you out with the resources.
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