The NCR Draft Regional Plan 2041 has formally backed Haryana’s long-pending proposal to build five new greenfield cities along the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway, but even as the blueprint inches closer to approval, the region’s own MP and Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh is asking the most basic question: where will these cities get their water?
At a recent meeting with civic agencies in Gurugram, Rao directed officials to identify a viable water source for the proposed new city before any further planning moves ahead. The instruction cuts to the heart of a concern that has haunted large-scale urban development projects in southern Haryana for years the region sits in a critically over-exploited groundwater zone, and existing cities like Gurugram already struggle to meet demand.
The NCR Draft Regional Plan 2041, to be advanced at the NCRPB Board Meeting on June 16, has designated the 135-km KMP corridor as the ‘Golden Ring of Opportunity’ — the highest-intensity development zone in the entire NCR. As part of this, Haryana has proposed developing areas around the KMP Expressway as Panchgrams — five greenfield townships spread across 2.5 lakh hectares, with development planned 2 to 6 kilometres on both sides of the expressway loop, to be governed by a dedicated Panchgram Development Authority.
The plan calls for all new settlements to be equipped with modern smart civic amenities on the lines of AURIC City, developed under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. To meet the demand for housing, transport and civic infrastructure across NCR, investments of around Rs 20 lakh crore may be required.
But for Rao, the ambition is secondary to the basics. The minister has previously been sharply critical of the project, raising concerns over its impact on farmers and warning that agricultural land could be “squeezed like a lemon.” He had made clear he would oppose the project in its present form, particularly in the Rewari-Gurugram belt, and had even indicated he would escalate his objections to the Prime Minister’s Office. His current push for a water audit before planning proceeds marks a conditional softening of that position support for the idea, but not without answers.
“Water is one of the most basic requirement and one of the key civic issues. We are in dark zone and even in urban areas water supply is an issue in many parts. We aim to build new cities but I need to see the plan about getting water there,” said Inderjit during a meeting with GMDA officials.
The project’s troubled history adds context. The Haryana Cabinet under then Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar approved the Panchgram Development Bill as far back as 2018, envisioning five new cities across eight districts Sonepat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Gurugram, Rewari, Mewat, Faridabad and Palwal. The ambition was sweeping, the follow-through was not. The project remained stalled due to land acquisition hurdles and administrative delays. When it failed feasibility tests in the NCR districts, the Saini government pivoted to a broader Dashagram plan — an array of 10 industrial towns across the state.
Now, with the NCR Draft Regional Plan 2041 reviving the Panchgram framework at the regional level, the project has fresh momentum — and fresh scrutiny. Industry observers caution that prolonged political discord could dampen investor sentiment, especially as NCR competes for large-scale investments.
