Karnataka - Mysore   

Panel lists core areas for growth

Special Correspondent

Experts moot idea of Greater Mysore

MYSORE: Spelling out a vision for a better Mysore, the technical sub-committee of the Institution of Engineers has identified a set of core areas for the planned development of the city which is poised for rapid growth.

Making a presentation on "Future of Mysore: A Perspective", the vision document prepared by the Institution of Engineers, Mysore chapter, pointed out that rapid urbanisation and uncontrolled physical growth of the city were inevitable, and hence, the need of the hour was to direct the expansion taking into account the resources, limitations, history, tradition and the character of the city.

Underlining the complexity of the subject, the 14-member team comprising former chairman P.J. Bhardwaj, chairman M. Lakshmana, C.N. Babu, B.S. Ramesh, Sanjay, and K.N. Subba Rao said they could, the at best, present broad outlines and suggestions as the issues raised required intense study.

The authors said the city structure was the product of history, early directive planning and the coherent and compact form held together in view of slow urbanisation and low growth rate. But this was steadily getting choked.

Stressing the need to identify different growth nodes, the experts said tourism and traditional industries such as agarabathi making, handicrafts, and silk could catapult the city's economy as also the knowledge-based industries. It was equally important to develop the service sector, while paying attention to cultural activities.

Greater Mysore

Mooting the idea of the Greater Mysore conurbation, the experts envisaged an urban complex of several centres with linkages to surrounding villages while calling for a focused development of a new centre in the city.

Calling for a structural plan for tourism development, the vision statement called for redesigning and restructuring the central area of the city with networking of tourist spots in and around Mysore.

The other suggestions included integrating the existing greenery to provide a contiguous lung space and linking the wetlands and tanks on the Nanjangud side, reviving the concept of Nehruloka project which provided for conservation of open spaces and greenery around the Chamundi Hills, and easing the pressure on the city centre by declaring portions of the city centre as a pedestrian block.

Shifting the city bus stand, provision for multi-storeyed parking system, declaring Sayyaji Rao Road from K.R. Circle to Dhanavantri Road as pedestrian zone, restructuring the Santhepet area with subways, creation of secondary shopping centres in the new areas of the city so as to take away the pressure on the existing market were other suggestions mooted by the sub-committee.

Calling for revising the norms for town planning, the document spelt out the need to revise the Comprehensive Development Plan and suggested constitution of a group, including NGOs.

Recognising the long-felt need for identifying hawking activities, the document suggested suburban bus stand and Chandragupta Road and its surroundings as suitable for hawking activities as also Gandhi Square, Sri Harsha Road, and Sardar Patel Road. It also favoured the concept of "one-day market" as prevailing in Delhi under which a portion of the road is kept free on a specific day of the week for hawking activities.

The document also touched upon other aspects such as outer ring road, the need to align portions of the existing road to form an inner ring road and an intermediate ring road and stressed on the uniform growth of the city in harmony with environment.

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