The Hindu Business Line : What's the master plan?

The second master plan for Chennai metropolitan area (CMA) is said to be in the process of finalisation, after nearly 20 years since the first master plan was published.

The master plan serves as a basis for regulation of development in the metropolitan area through control of land and building use. The land-use plan designates the purpose for which any piece of land may be utilised and the development control rules lay down the stipulations that any development must comply with. Development includes the initiation of any use, or a change of use, construction, re-construction, sub-division and laying-out of land.

In order to offer citizens a better quality of life, it is important to ensure that growth and development of a city do not result in environmental degradation.

Building rules were first introduced in 1940, confined to regulating sanitary conditions, lighting, ventilation and structural safety. In respect of construction, The Municipal Acts and Public Health Act enacted later designated areas within the city for residential or industrial uses and prohibited certain types of activities in certain areas of the city.

The Town Planning Act 1920 outlined schemes for the Municipal areas and other local areas within urban centres. These schemes specified the designated use for different parcels of land and prescribed regulations governing each type of development.

In areas not covered by the schemes, the Madras Corporation enacted a set of building rules to regulate the development and land-use was given secondary consideration.

This system, however, was not adequate to cope with the development in later years.

The Madras Metropolitan Development Authority was established under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act and is in effect from August 5, 1975. The Chennai (Madras) metropolitan area has an extent of about 1,172 sq km with a population of 70.33 lakh (in 2001).

As per Section 48 of the Town and Country Planning Act, any development in the Madras metropolitan area shall require sanction from MMDA.

Even a small addition to a residential building would require two permits — planning permit from CMDA and building permit from the local authority concerned.

The master plan outlines measures needed for the management of urban development and to facilitate and plan, co-ordinate and monitor projects in housing, slum improvement, traffic and transportation, in addition to bringing in a land-use based Development Regulation System for the metropolitan area.

Development control forms part of the master plan, with stipulations for planning parameters such as plot extent, frontage, coverage, height, floor-area ratio and so on.

The development control rules vary according to the location such as city/municipality/town panchayat/village.

Land use

The master plan has designated the following land-use zones:

Primary residential

Mixed residential

Commercial

Light industrial

General industrial

Special and hazardous industrial

Open space and recreation

Institutional

Agricultural

Non-urban.

In each land-use zone, only certain uses would be permitted normally, certain other uses permitted through special sanction, and some uses specifically prohibited.

Development control rules

Development means carrying out all or any of the works contemplated in a master plan and shall include building, engineering, mining or other operations in or over or under land, or any material change in the use of any building or land.

CMA has been divided into three tracts depending on the type of development, according to the master plan.

George Town and Continuous Building Areas — thickly populated and heavily built-up areas.

Rest of the city and municipal township areas — development is not intensive.

Other areas within CMA — sparsely developed areas.

(The author is former chairman, Institution of Engineers, Chennai.)

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page