Noida News Updates: FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s recent budget focus on the Transit Oriented Development policy is all set to bring massive transformation in Noida and Ghaziabad which has several developmental projects lined up in the next few years.

Noida: With a new airport, rapid rail and Namo Bharat trains, various cities in the NCR such as Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad will wear a new and transformative look soon. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s recent budget focus on the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) policy will bring massive transformation in Noida and Ghaziabad which has several developmental projects lined up over the next few years, a report by TOI said.

Uttar Pradesh has implemented its own transit policy in 2022, areas within 500m of intra-city mass transit systems, such as metro corridors running in a particular district and bus routes, are considered a TOD zone.

The primary objective of the TOD policy is to encourage properties — both residential and commercial — along the transit routes so that people can walk to the stations and use public transport as much as possible.

How Rail Connectivity in Noida Will Look After Few Years?

The TOD policy is more important for Noida as the new international airport in Jewar and other transit systems connect it with other cities such as metro, expressway, pod taxis and rapid rail.

In this plan, Noida will benefit from a 72km rapid rail corridor to the Jewar airport via Greater Noida West and a 28km pod taxi/light rail from Pari Chowk.

How Ghaziabad Will Look After Few Years?

Ghaziabad will wear a look after a few years. For the city, the development will focus around the 17km rapid rail section, which is already operational. The entire Namo Bharat corridor — from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Meerut — will become operational by next year. And other developmental projects in TOD zones — where mixed land use will be allowed — will get massive benefits.

In the meantime, Ghaziabad, which plans to have a 45km Namo Bharat corridor till Modinagar South this year, is targeting an annual revenue of Rs 1,500 crore from projects in the TOD zone.

Speaking to TOI, RK Singh, Ghaziabad’s former district magistrate, said if the FAR increases, revenue from mixed land use in TOD zones will see an almost 200% rise.

He was closely associated with the framing of the 2013 masterplan, which had incorporated the TOD policy.

He further added that the revenue collected from areas around the rapid rail network will be divided between GDA and the NCR Transport Corporation, which is building the corridor. He also stated that the GDA, in turn, can use these funds on its development projects.

Currently, 650 hectares near Sahibabad station, 477 hectares along Ghaziabad, 818 hectares near Guldhar, 720 off Duhai and 376 near Muradnagar are some of the TOD zones in the district.

Asheesh Shivpuri, GDA’s former chief town planner, told the news portal that by 2054, the NCRTC and GDA plan to recover the project cost of over 30,000 crore.