The Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) is toying with the idea of developing satellite townships beyond the Outer Ring Road (ORR) in view of the projected growth of Mysore, and perceived migration to the city consequent to improvement in connectivity with Bangalore.
The MUDA wants to shift the focus of development to new areas rather than congest the old areas and residential localities within the ORR.
MUDA’s thinking stems from a parallel development in Bangalore: The capital city was water-starved and various geological survey reports indicated that groundwater was completely depleted in most parts of Bangalore and in new growth regions such as Whitefield with the exception of Kengeri.
Hence, the next obvious choice for developers and investors would be Mysore which is close to two perennial rivers: the Cauvery and the Kapila. The issue came to the fore at a discussion on Greater Mysore initiated by the Association of Concerned and Informed Citizens of Mysore (ACICM) here on Thursday. MUDA Commissioner Palaiah said suggestions and demands constituting Greater Mysore would be taken cognisance of and incorporated into MUDA’s future plans.
In his presentation, M. Lakshman of ACICM said MUDA had developed nearly 13 major residential layouts during the last 15 years, while 50 private residential layouts and revenue layouts had cropped up in the city supporting a population of nearly 2 lakh people. Most of these were outside the ambit of the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) though they were enjoying civic amenities under it.
Bringing these layouts under the MCC and establishing Greater Mysore would not only ensure planned development of the periphery but would enable seamless blending with the old city. In the absence of planning, there would be areas of planned growth surrounded by chaotic growth.
Cascading effect
The impact of Greater Mysore would have a cascading effect on revenue as well as local polity. While it will cost the authorities an additional Rs. 823 crore to provide civic amenities, including drinking water, drainage system and streetlights, the government grant to the city would also increase manifold. The number of wards in the MCC would go up from the present 65 wards to 105 wards.
It was also suggested at the meeting that Mysore be declared a heritage city to safeguard its built heritage and monuments and secure additional funds from the Centre.
