Delhi government housing colonies set for high-rise redevelopment under TOD policy

The Delhi government plans to redevelop housing colonies under its Public Works Department (PWD) pool into multi-storeyed buildings under the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) policy, with the first projects planned at Gulabi Bagh, Kalyanwas and Bahapur, according to ETRealty.

The redevelopment will follow a self-financing model. Revenue from the sale of residential and commercial space will be used to recover construction costs, with proceeds also planned to help finance the new Delhi Secretariat complex at ITO, ETRealty reported.

Delhi PWD minister Parvesh Verma said Gulabi Bagh in north Delhi, Kalyanwas in Mayur Vihar and Bahapur near Defence Colony would be among the first colonies taken up under the plan. The redevelopment is being modelled on the Centre's general pool residential accommodation programme.

What the TOD redevelopment will involve

The TOD policy promotes compact, high-density and mixed-use development within a 500-metre radius of public transport hubs such as metro, railway and rapid rail stations. The policy is intended to support walkable communities while reducing traffic and pollution.

At Gulabi Bagh and Kalyanwas, the government plans to develop both residential and commercial space. About 10% of the area would be used for commercial purposes, as permitted under the TOD policy. The commercial component is expected to help recover redevelopment costs.

The government also plans to use the full permissible floor area ratio (FAR) at the two sites and construct high-rise buildings. Existing government employees will continue to receive residential accommodation based on requirements, while remaining residential units will be sold. Commercial space will also be sold to private players.

ETRealty reported that Kalyanwas has about 32 acres of government land, with roughly 70 lakh sq ft of development planned. Gulabi Bagh is proposed to have more than 2.2 crore sq ft of development.

Bahapur project to have 160 flats

Bahapur will follow a different model because the existing government flats there are in poor condition. The redevelopment will be exclusively residential.

The plan calls for 160 Type V and Type VI flats, comprising bedrooms, halls and kitchens. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 400 crore and is expected to be placed before the expenditure finance committee for approval. The tender is expected to be floated next week, according to ETRealty.

About 4 lakh sq ft of development is planned at Bahapur.

The government says the wider redevelopment programme is intended to improve accommodation for Delhi government officials and staff, many of whom currently face difficulties finding suitable government housing.

The projects will be developed on a self-financing basis, with construction costs recovered through the sale of residential flats and commercial space. A portion of the developed property will remain with the government.