The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), responsible for charting the development of the region around the Yamuna Expressway that will connect Greater Noida with Agra, has finalised a draft phase-I masterplan for the project, paving the way for major expansion.

The region is emerging as a potential destination for real estate investments, with plans for residential, industrial, institutional and commercial areas, as well as green belts and parks, recreational greens, a proposed airport and an aviation hub. According to a senior YEIDA official, most of the land that falls under the Yamuna Authority has already been registered and acquired by investors. A large part of the revenue generated by registration comes from residential areas under the authority, the official added.

According to the masterplan, the authority will develop the area up to Jevar in Gautam Budh Nagar in phase-I, which would include 584 sq km of Gautam Budh Nagar and Bulandshahr. The masterplan will be put before the board of directors for approval in May. In phase II, the masterplan will cover the area till Agra.

For residential sectors, the connecting roads will be 60-m wide, while in Greater Noida, the road’s width will be 24 m. The roads connecting YEIDA sectors with Greater Noida and Noida will be 130 metre wide, officials said. “We have taken into consideration that roads within the residential sectors should not be less than 12 metres wide. In Greater Noida, the minimum width of the road is 9 metres,” informed a senior official. To connect the sectors with adjoining regions such as Khurja of Bulandshahr and Palwal of Haryana, the authority has planned a 120-m wide road.

According to officials, approximately 334 villages of Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mahamaya Nagar (Hatras), Mathura and Agra are notified under the YEIDA.

The Yamuna Expressway lies between vital traffic corridors such as National Highway-91, which connects Delhi with Kanpur. “The Yamuna Expressway will be the lifeline in the regions adjoining it. The area will be developed as mega-cities with modern amenities,” stated the official.

The masterplan for phase-I also plans to connect the region with other regions through other expressways like the Eastern Peripheral Expressway and the Ganga Expressway. A 130-m wide railroad corridor connecting it with Khurja in Bulandshahr and Palwal in Haryana has been planned. The masterplan also proposes a new expressway connecting it with Khurja and Palwal.

An area of 10,000 hectare has been notified for proposed the airport and aviation hub. The plan also envisages 25 residential sectors for the region, all of which have been earmarked in the area near Greater Noida. “After Greater Noida gets filled, the population will migrate to the YEIDA’s residential units. After development of Greater Noida, the next sought after region will be the Yamuna Expressway sectors,” added Mohinder Singh, chairman of YEIDA.