The 3rd Master Plan for the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) spanning 1,189 sq km will be done by incorporating inputs from 26 studies. This could be the first time in the country that so many studies have been taken up, said Anshul Mishra, Member Secretary, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) – which is developing the Master Plan.
Plan’s key focus
Verticalisation (construction of apartments) is a key focus in the Master Plan, Mishra told businessline. The draft is expected to be ready by March 2025, and the government order (GO) is likely to be issued by December 2025, he added.
The Master Plan will be an evidence-based one. The 26 studies include sustainable economic growth strategies; spatial distribution of income and employment; land value and density study; flood mapping; climate action plan; open space study; gender sensitive planning; infrastructure requirement study and blue-green infrastructure requirement, he said.
The first and second Master Plans were basically on land use. The drawbacks in these were that they had vision, but the strategies that they had adopted were not full proof. So that’s why both plans, particularly the second master plan was implemented only partially – may be 30 per cent to 40 per cent. “In case of the third Master Plan, we are coming up with a robust implementation strategy besides an investment plan,” he said.
“We are also proposing a steering committee headed by the Chief Secretary to implement the Master Plan. It was not there earlier because at the time it was being headed by some committees, which faded over time. It has to be brought as a formal institutional framework so that it is reviewed every month or every three months,” he said.
Verticalisation
Globally, the norm is to go vertical. Horizontal is definitely a very negative thing not only from a transportation point of view, but from the larger environmental point of view. For example, there will be more vehicles on the road leading to more pollution and climate-related issues. Housing affordability will become a big problem. Even availability of office space will be a big challenge, he said.
Chennai annually produces 22,000 to 23,000 dwelling units. This is far below than what cities like Hyderabad and Bengaluru generate – 80,000 units – while Mumbai stands at a distant aim of 1.25 lakh units. However, the demand for housing in Chennai is steadily growing. To meet the demands of its growing population, Chennai must tackle the issues of housing shortages and rising costs of living.
The solutions include unlocking land potential, utilising the floor space index tool, and providing processed land at cheaper rates to encourage development and improve the availability of affordable housing across the city, he said.