#19 Documenting the Maps of Modern Delhi
Ashok Kumar Jain, India

Documenting the Maps of Modern Delhi

Ashok Kumar Jain, India

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Initiative's goals and main activities 

The planning of modern Delhi started in 1911 as the Capital of India, which was shifted from Kolkata. Initially, the plans were prepared mainly by Town Planning Commission and Central PWD (Government of India) and Delhi Improvement Trust (1937). In 1947, after the partition of the country, Ministry of Rehabilitation prepared the plans for 36 Rehabilitation Colonies for the refugees.

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In 1957 the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) were created by the Parliament. Mainly DDA was assigned the work of planning and land development, whereas the DMC was for the servicing of the city, including regularisation of about 2,000 unauthorised colonies. During last 65 years, thousands of plans and urban schemes had been prepared by the DDA, besides other organisations. Due to lack of systematic documentation, the ambiguity prevails with respect to terms such as slums, unauthorised, illegal, encroachments, etc.

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 As a result, often the poor suffer. For instance on April 20, 2022, anti encroachment demolition drive was conducted by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, resulting in violence, communal tension, demolition of homes, shops and livelihoods.

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In order to get to the next level, the project needs:

At the next level, it is envisaged to publish the documentation in the form of a book and also on a website.