2nd master plan for Chennai to create inclusive, world-class city

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Chennai, Sept 2 : The second master plan for Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA), prepared with 2026 as the horizon year and approved by the State government last week, aims at the creation of an inclusive, world-class city which will be economically vibrant, socially sound and ecologically sustainable.

The population of the metropolis would be 126 lakhs (73 lakhs now) and the demand for housing would vary from 38,000 to 62,000 annually and the total demand would be 12.37 lakhs units, Parithi Ellamvazhuthi, minister for information and the chairman of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) said.

He said important strategies proposed under the plan included promotion of industries for strong economic base and adequate employment opportunities by recommending policies and strategies for industrial development and adequate land for industries and commercial activities made available through zoning.

Strategies planned included dispersal of the population over the metropolitan area, diversification to optimum level by allowing flatted development along wider roads and allowing multi-storeyed buildings in the rest of CMDA. It was also proposed to allow higher floor space index (FSI) along the MRTS-influence areas for residential developments with smaller dwelling sizes, to encourage social housing provisions by private developers of special building, group development, multi-storeyed development over large lands through development regulations.

Delivery of low income group (LIG) and economically weaker sections (EWS) housing by facilitating private public partnership, allowing additional FSI of 0.25 to private promoters for LIG/EWS housing and also by providing for reservation of 10% of the land where the site exceeds one hectare, for development of LIG/EWS housing with flat size not exceeding 45 sq. m, each either within the site or in a separate site in 2 km radius.

The minister said transportation problems have been addressed in the plan. Major schemes include 45 km long metro rail, elevated expressways along city water ways, network of freight corridors and bus priority corridors, flyovers and series of pedestrian facilities.

‘’An important recommendation for flood alleviation is to increase or create storage capacities, by converting the present constraints into an opportunity, to manage and use the excess water for augmenting water supply and also ground water recharge,’’ the minister said.