Broad carriageways, evenly spaced residential buildings, optimal use of water resources, dedicated industrial areas — the southern suburbs of Chennai may have all of these in the next decade or so as the government planning authorities have taken up the Chengalpet taluk under the purview of Tamil Nadu's planned area development.
The move, part of the ongoing efforts to prepare a regional plan, was taken to curb unregulated, unplanned constructions in the rapidly urbanising Chengalpet. The area includes nearly 150 villages and a few urban local bodies. The planning would ensure classified zones for residential, commercial and industrial developments and also help in arresting encroachment of water bodies.
The department of town and country planning (DTCP) has declared the villages branching out of the Grand Southern Trunk Road (GST), the Vandalur - Kelambakkam Road and the Chengalpet - Kancheepuram Road as planned areas. A gazette notification listing the names was issued recently.
According to sources, the process of preparing a master plan and constituting a local planning authority for Chengalpet would be initiated soon. "The master plan would earmark zones for residential, mixed residential, commercial and industrial activities," a DTCP official said, adding that this would help in balanced development, while curbing unregularised growth.
For instance, the master plan will not grant residential projects in industrial zones and will chart out the roadmap for an effective road network aligned with bypass roads, ring roads, parks and other public facilities like the bus terminus. "The constitution of a local planning authority and master plan for Chengalpet will be carried out simultaneously. It may take two years for completing the entire process," the official added.
Though areas in and round Chengalpet are witnessing a substantial growth in the realty sector, much of the development has been unregulated. In fact, Chengalpet taluk in Kancheepuram district is infamous for a high number of unapproved layouts with unauthorised sanctions by elected local body representatives. This has led to indiscriminate constructions and alleged encroachment of water bodies in some pockets.
Member of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority's monitoring committee M G Devasahayam said there should be no delay in executing the process after notifying the areas. Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) feels the move will ease the process of obtaining approvals for housing projects. "The initiative will help in regulated growth as zoning would be done for the areas," said Suresh Krishn, CREDAI Chennai president.
The move, part of the ongoing efforts to prepare a regional plan, was taken to curb unregulated, unplanned constructions in the rapidly urbanising Chengalpet. The area includes nearly 150 villages and a few urban local bodies. The planning would ensure classified zones for residential, commercial and industrial developments and also help in arresting encroachment of water bodies.
The department of town and country planning (DTCP) has declared the villages branching out of the Grand Southern Trunk Road (GST), the Vandalur - Kelambakkam Road and the Chengalpet - Kancheepuram Road as planned areas. A gazette notification listing the names was issued recently.
According to sources, the process of preparing a master plan and constituting a local planning authority for Chengalpet would be initiated soon. "The master plan would earmark zones for residential, mixed residential, commercial and industrial activities," a DTCP official said, adding that this would help in balanced development, while curbing unregularised growth.
For instance, the master plan will not grant residential projects in industrial zones and will chart out the roadmap for an effective road network aligned with bypass roads, ring roads, parks and other public facilities like the bus terminus. "The constitution of a local planning authority and master plan for Chengalpet will be carried out simultaneously. It may take two years for completing the entire process," the official added.
Though areas in and round Chengalpet are witnessing a substantial growth in the realty sector, much of the development has been unregulated. In fact, Chengalpet taluk in Kancheepuram district is infamous for a high number of unapproved layouts with unauthorised sanctions by elected local body representatives. This has led to indiscriminate constructions and alleged encroachment of water bodies in some pockets.
Member of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority's monitoring committee M G Devasahayam said there should be no delay in executing the process after notifying the areas. Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) feels the move will ease the process of obtaining approvals for housing projects. "The initiative will help in regulated growth as zoning would be done for the areas," said Suresh Krishn, CREDAI Chennai president.