Lucknow, November 19: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while reviewing the overall urban development plans for Meerut, Kanpur, and Mathura-Vrindavan on Wednesday, said that the development of these cities should not be limited to the construction of roads and buildings, but should reflect a balance between local identity, history, culture, and modern amenities.
He directed that the plans be implemented in a phased manner, work be completed in a timely and quality manner, and that citizens should see visible benefits. The Chief Minister directed that the proposed Bijli Bamba Bypass in Meerut be developed under a PPP mode, similar to the Lucknow Green Corridor.
In a meeting held Wednesday at the Chief Minister’s residence, the Divisional Commissioners of the three divisions presented their action plans via video conferencing. It was reported that, following the example of Ayodhya, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, and Prayagraj, an integrated development model is now being adopted for Meerut, Kanpur, and Mathura-Vrindavan. Based on discussions with public representatives and coordination between departments, a total of 478 projects have been outlined in these cities. These include 111 in Meerut, 109 in Kanpur, and 258 in Mathura-Vrindavan. These projects are categorized into short-term, medium-term, and long-term, with clear timelines.
The meeting was informed that as part of the first phase of the action plan, work should be undertaken on 11 priority projects in Meerut, 13 in Kanpur, and 14 in Mathura-Vrindavan in the year 2025-26. These projects prioritize needs such as traffic improvements, intersection redevelopment, multi-level parking, green spaces, road and pavement improvements, underground power lines, water management, upgrading tourism facilities, and urban beautification.
The meeting was informed that projects such as the Bijli Bamba Bypass, Link Road, widening from Hapur Adda to Gandhi Ashram, Eastern Kutchery Road, Surajkund Square, Qayyum Nagar Park, junction improvements at 19 major intersections, Sanjay Van, a water recycling system from the Shatabdi Nagar STP to the Mohkampur Industrial Area, smart roads, and the University Road regional redevelopment are proposed to ease traffic in Meerut.
Regarding Kanpur, it was stated that the development will be based on the concept of “Rooted in Legacy, Rising to Tomorrow.” The plan includes Mainavati Marg widening, multilevel parking, construction of master plan roads, urban design improvements around Green Park, Maqsoodabad City Forest, Botanical Garden, VIP Road, Riverfront Link, Greenfield Corridor, Metro expansion and vision of new expansion area as Greater Kanpur.
The master plan for Mathura-Vrindavan discussed strategies for developing the city as part of “Vision 2030.” The meeting noted that initiatives for the convenience of pilgrims and tourists include street facade development, multi-level parking, bus parking, beautification of entry gates, construction of new roads, improvements to the Barsana-Govardhan-Radhakund corridor, amenities on the Parikrama Marg, and signage and lighting from the city entrance to religious sites.
Yogi Adityanath emphasized innovation, better management, and financial coordination for these projects.
He directed officials to seek private sector support through revenue-sharing models and adopt the PPP mode where possible.
He stated that the development objective is to create an urban infrastructure that facilitates traffic flow, prioritizes pedestrians and public transport, advances the path toward green cities, and strengthens local identity. He added that if additional budgetary support is required for the projects, it will be made available