With the urban population going up each passing year, there is a need to focus on de-centralised growth of cities by setting up satellite townships, according to experts.

V. B.Gadgil, Chief Executive and Managing Director of L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd, said satellite townships are the best way to address the pressure on urban areas and its infrastructure.

“By developing satellite townships and making them self-sufficient, we can help decongest the main cities,” he said.

Speaking at a Conference on Urban Infrastructure, hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry and Credai, the real estate developers’ body here, Gadgil said the satellite townships should encourage the ‘walk to work’ culture and provide good linkages to the main city.

Development of satellite townships should be planned such that they have all the infrastructure required locally and also ensure that there is no cross-commuting. The urban population in India is now estimated to be about 32 per cent against a global average of 50 per cent. According to projections, the percentage in India too is set to go up if the addition of new townships in the past decade is an indicator towards this trend.

Population density

Given the population density in big cities, these satellite townships should have functional linkages with mother cities, surrounding areas and towns, he felt. There is huge potential and at the same time significant investments are required to strengthen urban infrastructure, covering water, development of urban roads, storm water drains and solid waste management. The biggest challenge is of urban traffic management.

C. Shekhar Reddy, President-National of Credai, said there is potential for large scale development of urban infrastructure, while simultaneously focussing on satellite towns to expand the main city.

Referring to the growth of new projects along the Inner Ring Road and Outer Ring Road, he felt the Regional Ring Road, which links a span of 229 km of roads with towns around Hyderabad, would provide a major opportunity for growth.

Reddy felt that the infrastructure should be first developed and later attract investments.

This would be better as now the developers are first taking up projects and the infrastructure is coming up later.

rishikumar.vundi@thehindu.co.in

comment COMMENT NOW