On Friday, Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel officially designated the area surrounding Lucknow as the Uttar Pradesh State Capital Region.

The newly formed SCR comprises the districts Lucknow, Hardoi, Sitapur, Unnao, Rae Bareli and Barabanki with a total area of 27,826 square km, reported news agency PTI.

UP State Capital Region

The UP State Capital Region comprising Lucknow, Hardoi, Sitapur, Unnao, Rae Bareli and Barabanki, is formed keeping in mind the population pressure on the capital city, said chief minister Yogi Adityanath who initiated this project in September 2022.

With an increased population in the state capital and surrounding districts there is an emphasis on complaints about unplanned development. According to Yogi Aditynath, this decisions is being taken keeping in mind future requirements for development.

According to 2011 Census, Lucknow has a population of 4,589,838, Bardoi has a population of 4,092,845, Sitapur has a population of 4,483,992, Unnao has population of 3,108,367, Rae Bareli has a population of 3,405,559 and Barabanki has a population of 3,260,699. Combining 6 districts together, SCR will have a population of nearly 23 lakh people.

As per 2011 numbers, Lucknow has a population density 1816 per sq kilometres which is more than twice the state population density (829 per sq km). Lucknow's population density is the third highest in the state following Ghaziabad (part of Delhi NCR) with 3971 people per sq km and Varanasi with 2395 people per sq km.

“People from different cities want to come here and make their permanent residence. The population pressure is also increasing in the surrounding districts and many a times complaints of unplanned development are also received. In such a situation, keeping in view the future requirements, 'Uttar Pradesh State Capital Region' should be formed on the lines of National Capital Region (NCR),” CM Yogi said, reported PTI.

The state cabinet on March 6, had approved the draft for the developing a State Capital Region surrounding Lucknow.

UP-SCRDA

On Friday, UP Governor Anandiben Patel approved the establishment of Uttar Pradesh State Capital Region Development Authority (UP-SCRDA) and the Housing and Urban Planning Department issued the notification.

This declaration came under the powers vested in subsection (1) of Section 3 of the Uttar Pradesh State Capital Region and Other Regions Development Authority Ordinance, 2024 (UP Ordinance 4 of 2024).

The UP-SCRDA with its headquarters in Lucknow will be helmed by the UP CM and will have the chief secretary of the state as the vice-chairman. Other members of the Development Authority include Additional Chief Secretary Housing and Urban Planning, Divisional Commissioners of Lucknow and Ayodhya, District Magistrates of all the concerned districts, Vice-Chairmen of Lucknow, Unnao-Shuklaganj and Rae Bareli Development Authorities among others, reported PTI.

The team consists of more than three dozen members including head of the departments from the housing, revenue, urban development, finance, environment, rural development, irrigation, public works, transport, agriculture, tourism and chief town planner, reported TOI.

The authority is expected to have a wider jurisdiction to promote economic growth in the state and would work with the objective of improving the infrastructure of the towns within its scope by convincing the Centre.

Formed on lines of NCR

NCR as notified covers the whole of National Capital Territory-Delhi and certain districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, covering an area of about 55,083 sq km, according to the National Capital Regional Planning Board official website.

Delhi had a population growth rate of 52.44%, 52.91%, 52.98%, 51.45% and 47.03% during 1951-61, 1961-71, 1971-81 and 1991-01 decades due to a spurt in migrants moving into the Delhi from adjacent states leading to congestion and shortage of civic amenities, according to the National Capital Regional Planning Board official website. This made congestion and scarcity of amenities made it imperative for “planning Delhi in the regional context”, according to the official website.

In 1985, National Capital Region Planning Board Act was enacted by the Parliament, with the concurrence of the participating States of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. An NCR Planning Board was thus constituted.

Other states with a capital region development authority

In 2014, Andhra Pradesh formed a Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority under the The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Act, 2014 with an aim to extend Andhra Pradesh Capital Region from the existing 7068.20 sq km to 8352.69 sq km. The Capital Region aimed to include Amaravati as its capital and the two nodal urban centres of Vijayawada and Guntur following the the AP Re-Organization Act in 2014. In 2020, APCRDA was dissolved and set up the Amaravati Metropolitan Development Area (AMRDA) in its place.

In 2016, then Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced to create Assam state capital region development authority to bring in infrastructural growth to all areas adjoining the city. In 2017, the state formed an SCR comprising the districts of Kamrup Metropolitan, Kamrup, Nalbari, Darrang and Morrigaon, fully or partially, reported PTI.