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On the fast lane of growth

— Photo: M.A. Sriram

New look: The landscape of Mysore is undergoing a massive change.

For a city long associated with royalty, it is an image make-over that has just begun. No longer a mere pensioner’s paradise, Mysore is now set to blend the traditional with the modern and is out to woo investors in key sectors.

Projected as the best alternative to Bangalore, the city has shifted gears and pressed the accelerator to hit the fast lane of growth. This is perhaps best reflected in the Vision Statement spelt out in the City Development Plan (CDP) approved under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

The vision paints a broad picture of what Mysore is expected to be in a few years and augurs well for the city that takes pride in its built heritage and cultural vibrancy.

The focus is on evolving an ecological approach to urban management with thrust on heritage, tourism promotion and sustainable economic growth based on non-polluting, high technology industry and services apart from education.

Improved quality of urban services such as water supply and solid waste management, and ensuring universal access to an adequate level of these urban services to all sections of society is on the cards, all of which hint at planned development of Mysore in harmony with the ethos of the city that will shore up the quality of life in future.

The vision document as spelt out in the CDP and the Government’s sustained promotion of Mysore in recent years have begun to yield results and triggered a chain reaction that is set to alter the city’s profile and landscape beyond recognition.

The spill-over effect of the general all-round economic buoyancy witnessed in the country, coupled with over-saturation of Bangalore whose infrastructure is creaking and has been stretched to its limits, had a major influence on industries and investors who wish to expand their base beyond Bangalore.

And Mysore, given its proximity to Bangalore, seems to be the best choice. A view endorsed by the spurt in investments led by IT bellwether Infosys which went on to establish the world’s largest corporate training centre in the city.

But to sustain this growth, connectivity to reduce the commuting time is imperative. The imminent conversion of the single line broad gauge track to double line will not only reduce the commuting time between the two cities, but will unleash a new dynamism and force that will have a cascading effect not only on Mysore but along the entire stretch that is poised to emerge as a major urban and industrial corridor in the future. The pace at which the Mysore airport is being upgraded and expanded has given a thrust to factors promoting growth.

A national survey on the cities and towns of India conducted by a prestigious business magazine listed Mysore among the top 10 cities to do business and invest, which is testimony to the growing confidence among investors in Mysore’s potential. So, all things considered the city planners are now bracing themselves for a fresh wave of migration triggered by knowledge-based companies that is best reflected in the real estate activity in Mysore in recent years.

Urban planning that focused on horizontal expansion has given rise to a new debate on the imperatives of switching over to the vertical growth model.

The Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) which recently secured environmental clearance for developing a new residential layout — Rabindranath Tagore Nagar — is keen to experiment with the vertical growth model.

This means flats and apartments will be the norm and they will co-exist with independent bungalow-type houses.

The spurt in private apartment buildings that is altering the city’s skyline only accentuates the winds of change sweeping across Mysore.

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