The Tamil Nadu government’s decision to create a Chennai Mega Region has generated much interest among the people living in Chennai and its suburbs, as well as planners, policy-makers in various government agencies, and activists. The ostensible goal of the government seems to be to broaden the economic base, equipping more areas with infrastructure capacity and improving the quality of life of the people living there.
So far, the process has been largely driven from the top echelons of the administration with many government officials pleading ignorance of the details of what is envisaged. Activists argue that not factoring in the local component and keeping the community out of the planning process are signs that the process has not begun well.
The immediate reaction of the residents of many of the areas that come under the mega region is that a boost in the flow of funds will follow after the region is formally in place, which will help address their long-pending demands for infrastructure upgrades. Most of the 18 subjects managed by the urban local bodies and 29 subjects of the rural local bodies will likely get a boost, says Inderjeet Singh Sodhi, professor, department of local governance, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development.
Some residents, however, are concerned that a surge in urbanisation will be bad news for agriculture that is still widely practised in the included areas. They are concerned that changes in land use will be indiscriminate. “The treatment of subjects such as urban forestry and environment protection remains a major cause of concern,” says Prof. Sodhi.
Officials in the district administration, however, say the lacunae in the present system will be addressed by the strategic plan. For instance, in the conversion of wetland to other uses, regulations would be made stringent after the development of the Strategic Regional Plan.
Senior officials of the Housing and Urban Development Department say that the Strategic Regional Plan will be ready in a year, setting goals and priorities. They assure that it will be formulated with extensive community consultation in Chengalpattu, Thiruporur, Tirukalukundram, Sriperumbudur, Wallajahbad, Kancheepuram, Uthiramerur, Madurantakam, Cheyyur, Ponneri, Gummidipoondi, Uthukottai, Tiruvallur, Thiruthani, Pallipattu and Arakkonam.
The buzz the plan has generated has led to many residents approaching local planning authorities, enquiring about the impact of the new proposal. “We ourselves are not sure what is in store. So we are unable to reply to such queries. We want clarity from the State government on the subject so that we can explain it to residents,” says an official in a local planning authority. Officials of the Housing and Urban Development Department say the territory to be covered in the Chennai Mega Region includes the local planning areas of Arakkonam, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Mamallapuram, and Gummidipoondi.
“The strategic regional plan will be flexible. It will be monitored directly by the Chief Minister. It will also address issues faced by local business people, health providers, educational institutions, students and villages with cultural significance, farmers, fishermen, professionals and the poor. The existing local planning authorities in the Chennai Mega Region will continue to function independently,” says an official.
Prof. Sodhi, however, talks about the downside. “Once the Chennai Mega Region plan is implemented, Chennai will become the second largest planned region after Delhi. Land prices may sky-rocket. It will not be easy for the common man to get housing. Local bodies and line agencies may also face a wide range of issues caused by lack of coordination,” he adds.
Dual control
This possible dichotomy in administration is a sore point for civic activists. Some of them argue that the existing local body itself is unable to manage delivering the basic requirements for its residents. They are afraid, that between the local authority and CMR authorities, many key issues may fall between the stools. “A committee will study all geographic and demographic issues in the Chennai Mega Region,” says an official.
The major focus of the Strategic Regional Plan will be infrastructure-led economic development and job creation, improved transport, competitiveness through innovation, education, affordable lifestyle and access to healthcare. Lessons learned from previous disasters will be used to improve the resilience of the Chennai Mega Region. For example, stretches such as GST Road will be upgraded to improve connectivity that withstands any disasters, such as floods. The plan will also focus on completion of the Outer Ring Road projects and development of grid roads to facilitate connectivity during floods.
According to officials in Kancheepuram district, the Strategic Regional Plan has to facilitate augmentation of revenue for village panchayats. “People think that the expansion of the Chennai Metropolitan Area would improve the condition of village panchayats. Currently, the funds are inadequate for development projects in many village panchayats. The Strategic Regional Plan has generated expectations. Insufficient funds, even after its preparation, may lead to social unrest, making residents lose hope in the system of local governance itself,” says an official.
End to Encroachments?
Officials say they remain hopeful that the mega region plan will give local officials the tools and power to prevent encroachment of government land in the districts included. Currently, the power to sanction plans for 2,500 sq. ft. for domestic and 4,000 sq. ft. for commercial purposes rests with village panchayats.
For bigger projects, too, developers manage to bypass the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) by obtaining village panchayat approval for blocks of 2,500 sq. ft. or 4,000 sq. ft. In a bid to plug this loophole, official sources suggest that all the plan approval applications presented at village panchayat level should either be vetted by the Block Development Office/District Revenue Office or by the proposed authority in the Chennai Mega Region.
Civic activists have also demanded initiatives in the Chennai Mega Region to prevent organised grabbing of government land in rural areas. A system should be in place to keep track of plans approved at the village panchayat level, officials say.
Specific local needs
In Kancheepuram, there is hope that the Chennai Mega Region plan will address key issues in the district. Unlike the southern suburbs of the Chennai Corporation and Chengalpattu, real estate activity in and around major towns such as Kancheepuram, Sriperumpudur and Chengalpattu revolves around the development of residential layouts, especially on the outskirts of these towns, in view of their demographic profile and Archaeological Survey India regulations.
While in Mamallapuram town, there is virtually no scope for development in view of the demographic profile of the town, the chances of promoting multi-storied residential buildings in Kancheepuram town is negated in view of the Prohibited and Regulated Area norms of the Archaeological Survey of India.
A resolution prohibiting construction of high-rise buildings within 500 m of the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial passed at the Sriperumpudur Town Panchayat in the recent past has crippled the chances of real estate development activities along the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway abutting the Kundrathur-Sriperumbudur Road.
Apart from this, the non-availability of underground sewage disposal mechanisms in other small towns in Kancheepuram has left flat promoters cold and uninterested, says S.Hariharan of Hari Promoters.
Paddy and sugarcane cultivation continues to be the main activity in the rural pockets of Kancheepuram district. Sugarcane cultivation is also taken up in Madurantakam and Uthiramerur areas and horticulture crops in Wallajahbad, Cheyyur and Thirukazhukundram, according to data from the district administration.
There are others who fear any further boost to real estate activity. “Many residents and farmers in Kancheepuram are concerned about changes in land use without proper public consultation. Changes in land use pattern should be carried out judiciously so that agriculture continues to thrive,” says an activist.
As per the official statistics, crop (paddy, sugarcane and horticulture) cultivation is still being undertaken in about 1.40 lakh hectares in Kancheepuram district in spite of the unchecked growth of real estate activity. A considerable area of cultivable land has been converted into residential plots by obtaining village panchayat approval, officials say.
Traditional handloom silk weaving activity exists in and around Kancheepuram town with around 4,000 families engaged in it under the aegis of cooperative handloom societies and private master weavers. Apart from them, another 3,000 families have their source of livelihood in cotton weaving activity in Nathapettai, Wallajahbad and in the southern suburbs of Chennai.
The sculpting of rocks remains the source of livelihood for a few hundred families in and around Mamallapuram, and fishing is the main economic activity for the people living in some 40 fishing hamlets on the 87.20 km coastal belt of Kancheepuram. “The Strategic Regional Plan has to reflect the concerns of such communities,” says S. Santhanam, former Chief Urban Planner and member, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.
Fresh land registrations were stalled for land within 5 km radius of the Vedanthangal bird sanctuary in 2012. Major portions of Tiruvallur district have remained backward but the availability of a dependable suburban train facility on the western section has seen a boom in construction activity. Some of the towns that saw the housing boom are Avadi, Pattabhiram, Poonamallee, Arakkonam, Thiruninravur and Tiruvallur. However, electricity connections, sewage networks and drinking water facilities are lacking here.
Are they in or out?
In Arakkonam taluk, there is lack of clarity about which areas are included in the Chennai Mega Region. Revenue officials in Vellore district say there are 68 villages in the taluk but they have not been able to explain to residents if the entire taluk or part of it will be included in the Chennai Mega Region.“Roads in Arakkonam are in a pathetic state. Civic infrastructure is lagging. Merging Arakkonam with the Chennai Metropolitan Area could boost infrastructure,” says Naina Masilamani, president of the Rail Passengers Association.
A rail overbridge at Palanipet that connects Arakkonam town has been pending, while drainage work is being implemented at a slow pace, Mr. Masilamani says, hoping that this merger will help in expediting the proposed Outer Ring Road.
A former town and country planning official says that Arakkonam faces a problem of housing several unapproved buildings.
“Anyone who wants to construct a bigger building than a ground plus first floor needs to get a No Objection Certificate from authorities at the naval air station, Rajali . To avoid this tedious process, many stay away from getting the NoC, resulting in plenty of unapproved buildings,” he says.
The lack of a concerted effort to involve the local bodies and residents of the extended areas to resolve their unique issues seems to be the nub of discontent so far. The Chennai Mega Region, if it does, in future, factor in local concerns, is likely to give the aspirations of residents of these areas the opportunity to bloom.
Milestone in urban planning in T.N.
The Chennai Mega Region covers the districts of Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Arakkonam taluk in Vellore district Chennai district Area: 172 sq km Population: 46.46 lakh Total workers: 16.19 lakh Industrial units: 1870 Local administration: Greater Chennai Corporation Tiruvallur district Total area: 3,422 sq km Municipality: Avadi, Poonamallee, Thiruverkadu, Tiruvallur and Tiruttani 14 Panchayat Unions and 10 Town panchayats Forest cover: 19,736 hectares Barren and Uncultivable lands: 13,727 hectares Land put to non-agricultural uses: 98,729 hectares Net sown area: 1,20,169 hectares Total industrial estates: Government estates: 11 Private estates: 5 The district has 18,000 micro, small medium enterprises (MSMEs) Employment data: Workers: 15,38,054 Non-workers: 21,90,050 Kancheepuram district Total area: 4432 sq km Forest cover: 23855 hectares. Barren and uncultivable: 10948 hectares. Grazing and other permanent pastures: 18268 hectares. Total cultivable area: 1.50 lakh hectares. Total workforce: 16.73 lakhs. -Rural: 678251 -Urban: 955563 Handloom Cooperative societies (both silk and cotton): 100 Industries (all categories): 650 Arakkonam Taluk of Vellore district Population - 308459 Total Area - 411.34 sq km How a city grows The Chennai Metropolitan Area is often recognized as the urban cluster of Chennai, whereas the Chennai Mega Region covers a wide swathe of urban and rural areas Urban planning and development in Chennai Metropolitan Area is being regulated by Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) The key functions of the CMDA include preparation of master plan and detailed development plan. CMDA was constituted as an ad-hoc body in 1972. As per the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act 1971, CMDA become a statutory body in 1974. The First Master Plan for the CMA was notified on August 5, 1975. This specified development control rules for the CMA that laid down planning parameters, such as indicating FSI for specific areas. The Second Master Plan was notified on September 2, 2008. Revised land use plan and development regulations for the CMA were part of the Second Master Plan. Strategic regional plan vs. master plan Master plan is for a clear, contiguous urban area whereas the strategic regional plan is a living document that regulates planning in a vast region comprising rural and urban landscapes In the CMA, there is a clear demarcation of responsibilities of CMDA and other local bodies when it comes to planning permission and building approvals Experts from CMDA along with those from DTCP will prepare the strategic regional plan Role and responsibilities of various planning agencies and officials will be finalised after preparing the strategic regional plan The Chennai Mega Region will come directly under the supervision of the Chief Minister and could see a funding boost
(With inputs from Aloysius Xavier Lopez and R. Srikanth in Chennai, V.Venkatasubramanian in Kancheepuram, and Serena M. Josephine in Vellore)
