IMPACT OF RRTS ON SURROUNDING LAND CHARACTERISTICS ALONG DELHI-GHAZIABAD-MEERUT CORRIDOR

Abstract

It has been poised that the urbanisation rate in India is certain to grow in the next few decades. Cities are expanding at an unprecedented rate and the effect is more pronounced in developing countries. Despite the many opportunities presented by the cities, they have become synonymous with infrastructure bottlenecks.. Propelled by major global trends there has been an increased impetus towards developing inter-city sustainable public transportation systems in India. Regional transportation in India is a mix of different modes, including roads, railways, and airways, with the majority of intercity transportation being done by road. To improve the quality and affordability of regional public transportation in India, Regional Rapi Transit System (RRTS) was launched in the Naional Capital Region (NCR). Research shows that such transportation investments have a profound impact on development in a region. The Delhi-Ghazaiabad-Meerut corridor is the first to be implemented in the region. Construction for the line began in 2019 which is expected to considerably reduce the travel time between Delhi and Meerut. The expected decrease in travel time is predicted to result in favorable improvements in the overall accessibility levels for the region. This further has spill over effects on the land characteristics of the connected areas. A significant increase is observed in the land values of the connected nodes of Sahibabad and Duhai. The circle rates and market rates have increased post the construction of Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor. Further, changes in land uses have been observed in both the nodes. However, the extent of changes have been context specific, with vacant nodes like Duhai witnessing more land use changes. While, Sahibabad being a saturated node showed more impact on land values. A stakeholder perception survey was also conducted to ascertain the perception of stakeholders on introduction of RRTS in the area. A positive impact was largely observed for both the nodes. The study was undertaken within 1.5km radius of the RRTS station areas in both the nodes since the maximum impact is witnessed mainly in these areas. Further, future scenarios were also developed for land uses using data from 2020 and 2023. Conducting this study will contribute to a more comprehensive comprehension of the expected effects of the corridor on the region, thereby aiding in the planning of comparable mass transit networks.