To accelerate developmental initiatives in urban villages of the city, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has inaugurated the Dilli Gramodaya Abhiyan.
This campaign involves crafting individualised action plans for each village through collaboration with its residents.
The goal is to uplift the fundamental infrastructure, civic amenities, healthcare, sports facilities, horticultural practices, and water management systems.
Around 200 urban villages, such as Shahpur Jat, Munirka, Ber Sarai, Pilanji, Lado Sarai, and Katwaria Sarai, will be part of this initiative, as highlighted by an official from the LG’s secretariat. Jaunti village in North-West Delhi will be revamped first, he added.
The official further said that the campaign would be funded and implemented by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and more than Rs 800 crore had been earmarked for it, as per Indian Express report.
These funds will be directed towards enhancing and building essential infrastructure, promoting livelihoods, implementing scientific methods for livestock management, improving healthcare, and ensuring efficient land use and water management.
With nearly 97.5 per cent of Delhi’s population being urban, the city’s vast magnitude of development over the years has taken in most of the available land to cater to its growth.
This also covers numerous villages which have gradually shrunk to just residential and commercial settlements within the city, and consequently, have been classified as ‘urban’ villages.
The campaign aims at bringing about a qualitative transformation in the landscape and livelihood of the urbanised villages which mostly lie in neglected state.
The launch of the campaign commenced with the initiation of construction for Delhi’s first grazing ground in Jaunti village, spanning across a 7-acre area. This ground aims to provide fodder for approximately 4,000 livestock in Jaunti and nearby areas while also creating an open green space devoid of encroachments.
Additionally, plans are underway to clean, dredge, deepen, and rejuvenate a nearby water body within a week.
Prior to this initiative, the Delhi LG had already taken steps to adopt rural villages in the peripheries of the city, aiming to develop them into model villages by enhancing their civic infrastructure and livelihood prospects.
Of this, Qutabgarh in northwestern region of Delhi has been the first successful model village adopted by the LG and has become the recipient of multiple development initiatives to foster its transformation.
Also read: Inside Qutabgarh: Delhi’s Model Village Adopted By The Lt Governor