Four new cities to come up along Yamuna e-way

GREATER NOIDA: The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has decided to develop four new smart cities along the Yamuna Expressway. These cities, along the 185-km high-speed link that connects Delhi with Agra, will come up in district areas of Aligarh, Mathura, Agra and Hathras.

PC Gupta, CEO of YEIDA, informed the media on Monday, “Our project of developing these four urban centres is in sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious smart city plan.” The Uttar Pradesh Government, he said, had demanded from the Centre that YEIDA urban plans should be put into smart-city category.

The authority plans to develop 11,100-hectare urban centre in Tappal-Bajna area in Aligarh, 8,910 hectare in Raya of Mathura district, 10,600 hectare in Agra and 1,500 hectare in Hathras. It has prepared a draft of the Master Plan for these four cities under its second phase of urbanization. The authority has roped in a private consultant that has given presentation of the draft Master Plan.

“In the Master Plan, the consultant has identified land-use pattern in these four proposed urban centres to be developed. Our board has approved Yamuna Expressway’s Master Plan. We have invited objections and suggestions from general public for final approval,” Gupta informed the media.

YEIDA has also finalised land rates in these proposed four cities. The authority has decided to offer schemes to lure developers to these proposed cities. Officials said that new cities will offer employment and affordable housing to people.

The new cities along the expressway are expected to help in decongesting Delhi – NCR, which is bursting at its seams.