How Big Is Dholera, Really? 920 sq km in Context
The 920 sq km headline is real, but it needs context. Here is what is actually developable, over what timeline, and how the population target should be read.
The area numbers
Dholera SIR spans about 920 sq km of planned area (~360 sq mi). DURABLE Of that, roughly 580 sq km is developable and about 422 sq km is set for urban development; about one-third of the developable land sits in the Coastal Regulation Zone. REPORTED
The build is phased over about 30 years. The often-quoted comparison to being several times the size of a large city refers to this 920 sq km planning envelope, not built-up area.
Why not all of it is developable
Of the ~920 sq km planned, about 580 sq km is developable and ~422 sq km is set for urban development, because a large share of the coastal land falls in the Coastal Regulation Zone and other buffers (green belt, agriculture, village buffers). REPORTED The CRZ share (about a third of developable land) limits where construction can happen, which is a real planning constraint, not a marketing footnote.
The phasing
Development is in three phases over about 30 years. Reported targets: Phase 1 around 2012-2022/25 (Activation Area), Phase 2 around 2023-2032 (airport and industry, TP3+TP4 = 126 sq km), Phase 3 around 2033-2042 (TP5+TP6 = 142 sq km, full 920 sq km, ~1M population target). TARGET The end year is stated inconsistently as 2040 or 2042, so we present it as a reported range.
The population target
Per Census 2011, Dholera village had 2,779 people (576 households, about 80% literacy). DURABLE The taluka total is not reliably sourced. The often-quoted figure of about 1 million residents is a promotional full-build target over about 30 years, not a current population. TARGET
FAQ
How big is Dholera?
Dholera SIR spans about 920 sq km of planned area (~360 sq mi). DURABLE Of that, roughly 580 sq km is developable and about 422 sq km is set for urban development; about one-third of the developable land sits in the Coastal Regulation Zone. REPORTED
The build is phased over about 30 years. The often-quoted comparison to being several times the size of a large city refers to this 920 sq km planning envelope, not built-up area.
What is the population of Dholera?
Per Census 2011, Dholera village had 2,779 people (576 households, about 80% literacy). DURABLE The taluka total is not reliably sourced. The often-quoted figure of about 1 million residents is a promotional full-build target over about 30 years, not a current population. TARGET