Residents will soon be able to get information pertaining to land use in the metropolitan area at a click of the mouse.
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority has completed the development of a software that provides details of the land within the 1,189 km of metropolitan area. The data entry for the information system is under way and would be completed shortly, sources in the CMDA said.
After December, residents can visit the CMDA website and feed any revenue village name and survey number into the system. This will provide information on the classification of a plot of land as agricultural, industrial, residential, institutional or industrial zone.
If a government agency plans to acquire an area for the creation or widening of roads, or any other infrastructure project, the CMDA will update the village name and survey number concerned on the system. Updates on the re-classification of such land will be made every month, a source said.
Using the system, lands covered by water bodies, hills, the Red Hills catchment area, aquifer recharge areas, coastal regulation zones and forests can also be identified.
The new system is expected to promote the development of composite neighbourhoods that will accommodate economic activity near residential areas. It will also help minimise the need for transit, conserve ecologically sensitive areas, segregate hazardous industries and offer a pollution-free environment for residents.
The information can also be used to screen housing projects that have been launched without proper reclassification of land or have encroached upon water bodies, the source said.
The Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971, provides for land use variations under Sec. 32 (4). The reclassification of land zones are made based on the suitability of the site, its accessibility, compatibility with adjoining developments and impact on the environment.
