LG Sandhu pushes 3,000 DDA plots for parking to ease congestion

New Delhi: Lieutenant governor TS Sandhu has directed the DDA to identify around 3,000 vacant land parcels across the city to develop surface parking that can accommodate nearly one lakh vehicles and help ease traffic congestion. In the first phase, 232 DDA plots have been identified and are ready for the tender process.Sandhu chaired a high-level meeting on Wednesday with all seven Delhi Lok Sabha MPs and senior DDA officials to review issues of parking, traffic, encroachments, utilisation of vacant land and maintenance of parks.“It was informed that DDA over the next year would identify over 3,000 vacant land parcels to be utilised for surface parking across the city. Of these, 232 vacant DDA plots — 30 in Rohini, 23 in South, 53 in North, 98 in Dwarka and 28 in East — are ready for tender. These will go a long way in addressing the parking woes as well as easing traffic congestion in the capital,” said an official.The LG reiterated that all DDA parks must remain open from 6 am to 10 am, and those charging entry fees must allow free access during these hours.MPs flagged unauthorised occupation and encroachment as major civic concerns and assured full cooperation in tackling them. Officials said such meetings will be held regularly.South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said he raised issues including removal of the ‘O-Zone’ classification — the Yamuna riverfront area where construction is restricted because of flood risk — from 91 colonies across multiple constituencies, regularisation of 69 affluent colonies, amenities on gram sabha land, and development of parks on vacant plots.“I requested land for the Delhi-Varanasi high-speed rail corridor without it passing through residential areas of Bamnoli and Dhulsiras. Community facilities such as halls, dispensaries, schools, sports grounds and parks will be developed on gram sabha land subsumed by DDA. DDA will also issue an NOC to PWD for a road under the Metro line from Harkesh Nagar to Maa Anandamayi Marg,” Bidhuri said, adding the LG ordered immediate action.