From Tihar to Rohini prisons: To decongest, Delhi government looks for land in 48 urban villages

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 9, 2026 05:18 AM IST

Tihar is one of the largest prisons in the world. (Express file)

The Delhi government has commissioned a survey of the 48 recently-declared ‘urban villages’ to identify land for the relocation and expansion of the capital’s prison infrastructure, The Indian Express has learned.

Sources said the office of the Director General (Prisons) has issued an order constituting five committees, each comprising four members, to carry out the survey.

“The purpose is to identify land for the decongestion of Delhi’s prisons as well as for setting up a training institute,” a government source said.

The three prison complexes in Delhi are bursting at the seams — according to official figures, their 14 prisons together house 19,500 prisoners, almost double the sanctioned capacity of 10,026.

Tihar is already one of the largest prisons in the world. The Rohini Central Jail was established in Badli, northwest Delhi, in 2004 as an extension of Tihar. A third jail complex with six prisons and a capacity of 3,776 inmates opened in Mandoli in northeast Delhi in 2016.

The five committees have been assigned four specific tasks, officials said.

“First, they will conduct a survey of available land. Second, they will identify suitable land parcels for the relocation and expansion of Delhi’s prisons. Third, they will coordinate with the agencies concerned to collect and verify land-related information.

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Fourth, they will submit a detailed report along with their recommendations within the stipulated timeframe,” said a top source.

The Indian Express had reported in May that the Standing Committee, the highest decision-making body of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, had taken the decision to declare the last remaining 48 villages in Delhi as ‘urban villages’.

Once a village is declared as ‘urban’, it ceases to be governed by the agricultural land-use norms of the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954 (DLR Act), which prohibits landowners from using agricultural land for housing, commercial, and industrial activity.

Also, the village comes under the purview of the DMC Act and the DDA Act, and Gram Sabha land is transferred to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

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Rural groups had long demanded changes in the DLR Act, arguing that farming was no longer a viable economic activity in the capital.

With the restrictions having been lifted, landowners in these 48 urban villages now have greater flexibility to use or sell their land for a range of development projects.

Delhi has both the largest number of central jails in the country as well as the highest occupancy rate of 194.6% as of December 31, 2024, according to the Prison Statistics India 2024 report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

Delhi also has the highest number of undertrial prisoners (3,979, or 11.3% of the total) after Haryana (4,358, or 12.4%), the NCRB data show.

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In April 2025, the Delhi Prisons Department had written to DDA asking the Authority to identify and allot 400 acres of land for a new prison complex. The proposal had come after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced in the 2025-26 Budget that the government intended to shift Tihar Jail out of its current location.

Prison officials have said that the large population of inmates puts great pressure on the water supply, sewerage, and waste management systems, as well as on the healthcare and rehabilitation programs.

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd

Sakshi Chand is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. With over a decade of experience in investigative journalism, she is a leading voice on crime, the prison system, and institutional governance in the National Capital.

Professional Background

Specialization: Her reporting focus includes high-stakes crime, national security, prison reforms, and traffic governance.

Key Coverage: She has been on the frontlines of major events such as the 2G spectrum case, the 2020 North-East Delhi riots, and communal clashes across Uttar Pradesh (Kasganj, Aligarh).

Earlier Career: Before joining The Indian Express, she was a reporter for The Times of India.

Personal Interests: Outside of her career in journalism, Sakshi is a National-level basketball player and coach, bringing a unique sporting discipline to her professional life.

Major Recent Coverage (Late 2025)

Her reporting in the latter half of 2025 has been dominated by a major terror investigation and administrative accountability:

1. The Red Fort Blast Investigation

Throughout November and December 2025, Sakshi led the coverage of a car explosion near Delhi's Red Fort:

Forensic Breakthroughs: She reported on the use of TATP and ammonium nitrate in the IED and identified the shops where raw materials were sourced (Nov 14-16, 2025).

The "i20 Route": She meticulously tracked the journey of the vehicle used in the blast, tracing it to a Pulwama-based resident who entered Delhi via the Badarpur toll plaza (Nov 12, 2025).

Victim Support: She recently reported on the Delhi Police providing a list of damaged vehicle owners to the Finance Ministry to expedite insurance claims for those caught in the blast (Dec 4, 2025).

2. Crime & Police Accountability

"Crackdown on Extortion Gangs": In December 2025, she reported on a syndicate that was blackmailing traffic cops. Following five arrests, the Special CP directed officers to report all such attempts (Dec 12, 2025).

"Corruption in the Ranks": She covered the arrest of five Delhi Police personnel by the Vigilance branch following a wave of public complaints (May 19, 2025).

Cold Cases & International Murders: She has extensively tracked the case of a man who allegedly killed his wife in London and fled to India, reporting on his "Proclaimed Offender" status and the denial of his anticipatory bail (May 2025).

3. Governance & Public Policy

"13,000 Homes for 90,000 Cops": A data-driven feature on why the majority of Delhi Police personnel are forced to live on rent despite the city's housing projects (May 4, 2025).

Traffic Decongestion: Using her interest in urban logistics, she detailed how the Traffic Police eased congestion on Vikas Marg by switching off signals and creating U-turns (April 2, 2025).

Signature Style

Sakshi Chand is known for a data-driven and investigative approach. She frequently uses forensic reports, CCTV analysis, and administrative data to go beyond the "official version" of a crime story. Her work in prison reporting is particularly noted for highlighting the legal and humanitarian conditions of foreign detention centers and local jails. ... Read More

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