BANGALORE: The new Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), which forms the blueprint for Bangalore's development for the coming decade, has been drawn up keeping in mind the fact that it is the fastest growing city in India.

The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, stated this in the Legislative Council on Thursday while replying to the senior Bharatiya Janata Party member Ramachandra Gowda during Question Hour that shrinkage of the green belt from 742 sq km to 474 sq km is "inevitable" given that Bangalore has become the IT and Biotech Capital, drawing scores of multinational companies and industries in allied sectors to set up shop in the city.

Mr. Dharam Singh said the new CDP has been drawn up as a guide to planning for the City's growth until 2015, at which time the population is estimated to touch 88 lakhs. Besides, in the next 15 years, Bangalore is slated to be counted among the 20 megacities of the world.

Earlier, it had been anticipated that the city's developed area would cover 564 sq km by 2011. But it exceeded 565 sq km in 2003 them and hence the green belt had to be reworked and scaled down.

Mr. Dharam Singh said despite those compulsions, the CDP has provided for maintaining adequate area of green space and to protect the 11.5 sq km of natural valleys and a special regulation is in place to protect water bodies, forests and national parks. The Thippagondanahalli Reservoir, Bannerghatta National Park and several lakes and tanks are covered for protection and conservation. About 42 sq km of industrial area exists in Bangalore currently, and an additional 54 sq. km is provided for in the new CDP.

Mr. Ramachandra Gowda said the Bangalore Development Authority had engaged a French firm to provide digitalised version of the CDP, and on being told it had cost the Government Rs. 18 crores, he said with all its features like satellite images, quick board images, the CDP has wrongly incorporated several villages in the map as part of the city.

When this came to light, the Government entrusted the task to some town planning consultants and that could add to the costs, he added.

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