Resource detail

Green cover and water bodies almost equal to a quarter (23%) of Delhi's area have been lost to development works and rapid urbanization in the National Capital Region in just the past 13 years. The first comparative satellite-based study of change in land use in NCR has shown that between 1999 and 2012, the region lost 32,769 hectares of green areas and 1,464 hectares of water bodies, both crucial for sustainability and quality of life in the region. During the same period, the study found that built-up area in NCR grew by a massive 34%, bringing 95,803 hectares of land into the construction zone. The draft regional plan asks states to follow stricter norms to protect and increase green cover. The plan proposes that expressways be lined with 100-metre wide green buffer zones on each side. It recommends a 60-metre green belt for national highways and 30 metres for state highways and railway lines.