"Housing Not Enough": Delhi Lt Governor Pushes For Water, Buses After Narela DDA Flats Sell Out

Thousands of flats developed by the Delhi Development Authority in Narela were booked within days, but will buyers have access to water, public transport, and security when they move in? Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu made it clear on Monday that housing alone was not enough, warning that any laxity in providing basic amenities to residents in Narela will not be tolerated.

The warning came during his visit to the sub-city, where he inspected ready-to-move DDA flats and reviewed infrastructure projects. The visit comes days after all 4,164 low-income group (LIG) flats offered under DDA's Awaas Nivesh Yojana 2026 were booked in just 10 days.

The first batch of 2,516 flats was booked within two hours on October 20, while another 1,648 flats were booked within an hour on October 29.

The flats, located in Sectors G2-G6 of Narela, were offered at a 25 per cent discount, with prices starting at around Rs 14.95 lakh.

But Narela has faced a problem for years: despite the availability of affordable housing, many DDA flats struggled to find buyers because of poor connectivity and inadequate civic facilities.

In February 2025, residents had complained about irregular water supply, limited public transport, and thefts in housing complexes. Some said they had to depend on private vehicles for daily travel, while others reported thefts from vacant flats.

What Are the Lt Governor's Directions? 

During his inspection of ready-to-move flats in Pocket 11, Sectors A1-A4, Sandhu directed DDA officials to provide built-up spaces to Delhi Police so that police stations, chowkis and police beats could be made operational at the earliest.

He said a stronger police presence would help curb crime and drug-related activities, improve surveillance and make the locality safer.

"Housing development must go hand in hand with essential public facilities, well-maintained public spaces and adequate security measures," he said.

The Lieutenant Governor also reviewed arrangements of basic amenities such as water supply, sewerage, sanitation and public transport with Delhi Jal Board, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Transport Department.

He said he would personally monitor the rollout of infrastructure and services in Narela.

The directions come as the DDA attempts to attract more residents to Narela through discounted housing schemes and planned infrastructure projects.

Connectivity remains a major concern for homebuyers. The proposed Rithala-Narela-Kundli Metro corridor is expected to improve access to the area, but the project is yet to become operational.

A University Hub In Narela

The Lieutenant Governor also inspected land allotted to state universities in Sectors G7 and G8, where a 138-hectare education hub has been proposed under the Master Plan for Delhi-2047.

The project is planned as a centre for higher education, research, innovation, vocational training and employment generation. Sandhu asked officials to expedite its development.

He also reviewed Sector 8B in Zone P-II, which has become the first sector to achieve the 70 per cent contiguous pooled-land threshold under Delhi's Land Pooling Policy.

The policy aims to facilitate planned development by bringing together land parcels for housing, roads and public infrastructure.