Taking its out-of-the-box policy of creating a planned urban zone 10 times the size of Noida in one single stroke a step further, the Uttar Pradesh government has awarded Groupe SCE India, the end-to-end geo-spatial services provider, the ambitious project of preparing the development plan for the Yamuna Expressway Authority (YEA) Region. The region, which covers approximately 2,68,900 hectare in 1,187 villages, comprises of six districts (Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulanshahr, Aligarh, Maha Maya Nagar, Mathura and Agra) and runs parallel to the 165-km long Yamuna Expressway from Greater Noida to Agra.
Groupe SCE, a subsidiary to two major French spatial service providers, Groupe SCE and Groupe FIT, specialises in the design and creation of Geographic Information Systems, 3D modeling, LiDAR data works, Cartography, Remote Sensing and IT solutions and is already working on major projects such as preparing the Greater Bangalore master plan 2015, Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s project of redressing regional disparities by increasing the potential of other urban centres and districts to attract inward investments and achieve greater fiscal autonomy, providing consultancy services for the preparation of master plans for Bhiwadi-Tapookara-Khushkhera complex in Alwar district, DPR for a comprehensive mobility plan for the city of Panaji, the heritage conservation of Panaji and its urban renewal, as well as the preparation of a city development plan of Jalgaon.
Talking to FE, Mohinder Singh, CEO and chairman of the YEA, said that while the consultant already prepared the conceptual draft master plan for Greater Noida-Jewar stretch, which covers approximately 20% of the entire stretch, work on the remaining part has also been awarded to them.
?This project, is by far, the most ambitious project in urban planning and development ever undertaken in the country. The objective is to optimise on the present potential of the area, enhance its investment climate and promote the economic development of the region through long-term sustainable environment. The USP will be an environmental-friendly development with a marked difference in greenery and openness,? he stated.
On the western side of the expressway along the river Yamuna, the entire stretch up to Agra is being conceived as the largest recreational zone in the world. The area will be planned as a complete green zone where no permanent construction would be permissible and would provide opportunities to plan for a wide range of amusement and recreational activities. ?Major recreational green areas along the river edge would act as ecological zone supporting systems,? said Singh.
On the left of the expressway, an integrated industrial township is being planned with the modern concept of urban city development. It will have about 25% or more area under green cover as green belts along roads, canals, water bodies and other city level parks and green areas catering to the various recreational needs of the residents. ?The Urban development on the eastern side is envisioned to create a strong economic base with industrial development as its focus ensuring a globally competitive environment and state-of-the-art infrastructure to attract foreign investment. We aim to lay a core infrastructure in place for various economic activities.
If we plan the core infrastructure before ushering in urbanisation, it will ensure that we have no haphazard and chaotic development but well-planned urban conglomerates which will not only be self sufficient but also environmentally sustainable for the next 50-100 years,? explained Singh.
The proposed urbanization along the Yamuna Expressway would accommodate about 10 million population and generate around 3 million job opportunities in manufacturing and services.