The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) announced on Monday that work on phase 1 of the Harnandipuram housing project, covering 523 hectares, is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2025. Officials have completed a survey for land procurement and are preparing to initiate the acquisition process. On August 5, the GDA board approved the proposal for this ambitious housing project, located near the Delhi-Meerut Road and the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor. The plan involves acquiring land from farmers across eight villages: Mathurapur, Nagla Firoz Mohanpur, Shamsher, Champat Nagar, Bhneda Khurd, Shahpur Morta, Morta, and Bhovapur. “The survey for the housing scheme is finished, and our team is compiling the report. We will then outline the specifics for phase 1. We aim to develop the project in phases, with work likely starting in early 2025. We plan to purchase land directly from farmers,” stated Atul Vats, vice-chairperson of the GDA. The new township will be situated about three kilometers from the Delhi-Meerut Road, behind Raj Nagar Extension, and is expected to feature approximately 5,000 residential units. “The land for the Harnandipuram housing scheme is primarily agricultural, as identified in the draft Master Plan 2031. With state government intervention, the authority will convert it into residential land. This approach avoids complications that could arise from changing land use, which would enable private developers to commence their own projects,” explained a GDA official who wished to remain anonymous. The draft Master Plan 2031 received board approval in August and will soon be submitted to the state government for final approval. “We anticipate that the draft plan will be finalized by the end of 2024,” Vats added. The funding for the Harnandipuram housing scheme will come from both the state government and the GDA. Officials are optimistic about the project's success due to its strategic location near the RRTS, Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Delhi-Meerut Road, and the Hindon elevated road, which connects the city to east Delhi. The last housing project developed by the GDA was the Madhuban Bapudham project in 2004.