Eight more regions across Tamil Nadu are set to get their regional plans under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1971.
The Directorate of Town and Country Planning has floated a tender to engage consultants for preparation of regional plans and carrying out detailed studies of the regions for infrastructure and economic, business, industrial, tourism activities. The horizon year of the plans for the eight regions is 2042.
The plans are to be prepared for the Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur Regional Planning Area (RPA), measuring 6,863 sq.km; the Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur and Tiruvannamalai RPA, measuring 12,263 sq. km; the Villupuram, Cuddalore and Kallakurichi RPA, measuring 10,897 sq.km; the Salem, Namakkal, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri RPA, measuring 18,283 sq.km; the Tiruchi, Ariyalur, Karur, Perambalur and Pudukottai RPA, measuring 15,753 sq.km; the Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai RPA, measuring 8,254 sq.km; the Sivagangai, Virudhunagar and Ramanathapuram RPA, measuring 12,578 sq.km; and the Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari RPA, measuring 13,122 sq.km.
The regional plan for the Coimbatore RPA, comprising Coimbatore, Erode and and Tiruppur districts and measuring 15,679 sq.km, and the Nilgiris RPA, measuring 2,565 sq.km, are being prepared by the School of Architecture and Planning in Bhopal, according to officials of the Housing and Urban Development Department. The regional plan for the Madurai RPA, comprising Madurai, Theni and Dindigul districts and measuring 12,614 sq.km, has been taken up with the financial assistance of the Asian Development Bank.
A regional plan is a large-scale urban planning aimed at ensuring efficient use of land resources. In 1974, eight regions were created for a planned growth. Subsequently, the government decided to have 12 regions. “Regional planning is aimed at bringing together growth and land-use strategies, development guidelines, and socially impactful recommendations for all the districts of each region for the regional importance,” says the Housing and Urban Development Department.
The overall objective is to achieve sustainable development by harmonising social, economic and infrastructure needs through planning and management of land and its resources; to identify the environmental resources and sensitive zones, the development needs of various parts of the region and the development potential of various sectors; and suggest a spatially balanced settlement structure for a harmonised relation between urban and rural areas.
The government last month framed the Regional Plan (Preparation, Publication and Sanction) Rules, 2021, under Section 122 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1971.
