Yamuna E-way authority eyes 2 more townships as 2nd phase gets govt nod

                  The second phase of the MasterPlan 2031 of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) was approved by the Yogi Aditya Nath-led Uttar Pradesh government on Monday. According to the plan, YEIDA will have two new urban nodes, or townships, in its area, which will comprise a dedicated industrial area and a heritage city to promote tourism.

With the state government’s approval, YEIDA has become the largest industrial township in the country with an area encompassing 2,687 square kilometres.

According to officials, YEIDA had in August 2015 decided to reorganise the area falling in the second phase of its Master Plan 2031. A detailed survey of the proposed notified area, which encompasses more than 1,100 villages, was carried out with the aim of focusing on sustained and controlled development along the 185-km Yamuna Expressway between Greater Noida and Agra.

In March 2016, an amendment to set up two urban nodes or townships comprising a dedicated industrial area and a heritage city to promote tourism was proposed, which the state has now given its nod to, officials said.

According to Arunvir Singh, chief executive officer (CEO), YEIDA, the “two new urban centres” will be developed into smart cities across more than 20,000 hectares. “The Tappal-Bajna centre will be developed across 11,104 hectares, while the Raya urban centre will be across 9,366 hectares,” he said. “While Raya centre is expected to serve a population of 9.75 lakh by 2031, Bajna centre will serve 12.75 lakh,” he told TOI.

YEIDA officials said that Phase 2 includes more than double the area of Phase 1 in the Master Plan 2031. In Phase 2, land has been reserved for green spaces besides mixed land use including industrial, residential and institutional. Recreational green areas and corporate spaces have also been earmarked along the Yamuna Expressway area in the master plan.

“The dedicated tourist zone in the Raya urban centre will have a riverfront area compassing 109 hectares of land with 102 hectares of water bodies and recreational area covering 1,498 hectares. The tourism zone will sprawl across 731 hectares,” Singh said.“The idea is to provide tourists coming to Vrindavan and the Mathura-Hathras-Agra tourist circuit with world-class space they can enjoy and take tourism to the next level on the global map,” he added.

The Tappal-Bajna centre, meanwhile, will boast an area dedicated to industry. The area will include mixed land use space and recreational zone across 1,755 hectares besides water bodies and natural features over 103 hectares.

Source - ET Realty