For decades, the promise of "work in Delhi, live in the NCR" has fueled the homeownership dreams of thousands in the National Capital Region. However, a recent move by the Delhi government has sharply redrawn the fading mental and administrative lines between the capital and its surrounding areas, exposing deep flaws in regional planning.
A Policy That Challenges the NCR's Very Idea
On Tuesday, the Delhi government announced that private vehicles not registered in the city would be barred from entering unless they comply with the stringent BSVI emission norms. This decision directly impacts residents of neighboring NCR towns like Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad, who commute daily to Delhi for work, education, and other necessities.
This move has been criticized as a blunt instrument that contradicts the foundational concept of the National Capital Region. Omesh Saigal, former member secretary of the NCR Planning Board (NCRPB) and ex-chief secretary of Delhi, did not mince words. He termed the NCR idea and the board itself a "flop."
"This order flies in the face of the very concept of a national capital region. You are essentially blocking people from going to office, coming home and in some cases, even going to school," Saigal told TOI. He recalled a forgotten order by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that prohibited new government offices in Delhi, a directive long ignored as all major headquarters remain concentrated in the capital.
Decades of Planning Paralysis
The need for a body to manage Delhi's congestion and regional growth was identified as early as 1985, leading to the formation of the NCRPB. Yet, after nearly four decades, few of its plans have materialized. Experts point to a fundamental structural flaw: the board lacks executive authority.
"Unfortunately, the NCR Planning Board Act provides only for a board without any legal rights. If we want NCR to function as a whole, it must have a common executive authority. This absence is the reason things here don't work as planned," explained Saigal.
Another former Delhi chief secretary, speaking anonymously, echoed this sentiment, stating that Delhi has been functioning beyond its capacity for years. "No one is looking at the big picture -- the city as it is right now, cannot be governed... It needs a model like that of Delhi Metro where political considerations do not stop work," the former bureaucrat said.
Seamless Connectivity on Paper vs. Border Closures in Reality
The NCR draft regional plan 2041 explicitly advocates for seamless movement. It states, "Steps shall be taken to prevent closure of interstate borders by States in NCR area, except in emergency situations." The document identifies Delhi's nine major entry points, which handle 75% of traffic, and stresses the need to keep them congestion-free year-round for a seamless NCR.
However, the ground reality is moving in the opposite direction. The new ban has raised practical concerns flagged by officials when the proposal was first discussed. Stopping vehicles at nearly 60 entry points risks creating chaotic snarls, potentially increasing pollution at the borders themselves. There are also fears that the rule could become a source of corruption, with law enforcement personnel exercising discretionary power.
Critics argue the policy ignores root causes. Noor Mohammed, another former member secretary of NCRPB, called the ban a "crude way of handling pollution." He highlighted the massive increase in private vehicles due to inadequate public transport focus and questioned the compliance status of government vehicles in Delhi itself.
"When their own vehicles continue to pollute, they stop private vehicles registered in neighbouring areas. We must remember that NCR expanded because there was no scope for expansion of Delhi," he added, underscoring the interconnected fate of the capital and its region.
The data supports the pollution concern. According to the NCR draft plan, vehicular pollution in Delhi increased by about 40% between 2010 and 2018, with vehicles contributing 40% to 50% of the pollution in the NCR. The current ban, while aiming to address this, has instead sparked a larger debate on the failure of integrated regional governance, leaving the dream of a truly unified National Capital Region more distant than ever.
