Curtains on Master Plan consultations
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The final draft to be prepared by year end will have an inclusive growth for Vision 2026, writes Swahilya
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Photo: R. Shivaji Rao
Orderly growth: All awaiting the final draft of the Master Plan.
The screen has come down finally on the deliberations on the draft Second Master Plan for the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA). The final event was a two-day workshop organised by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA). Builders, citizens, NGOs, Government officials – all got around to give their ideas, which the CMDA vice-chairman, R. Santhanam, assured them would find a place in the final draft that would be prepared by this year end.
Giving a fillip to the builders’ demand for more Floor Space Index (FSI), the State Chief Secretary, L.K. Tripathy, suggested to the CMDA to be liberal on verticality as land was constant and more open sky space was available. He said that pressure could ease on the main corridors if growth was channelled in the second and third stages rather than along the roadsides.
The six sessions spread over two days had a lot of people participating, shooting questions to the speakers to elicit responses. In the first session on population policy, economy and employment in formal and informal sectors, speakers expatiated on the problems that will be posed by the rising population, expected to stabilise by 2026, a policy for the type of economic activities to be allowed in Chennai, provision of quality employment and skill training so that the workforce would not be focussed on less income-generating jobs, tapping the majority of the unorganised workforce and providing the infrastructure for a cost-effective training programme. The session on water supply, sanitation and drainage emphasised on encouraging industries to recycle water and take the cue from Singapore on wastewater recycling.
Choking conditions
The session on traffic, transportation and parking sparked a lively debate on the present choking conditions, increase in private modes of transport and the lack of quality and quantity in public transport services.
The suggestion was to have an integrated mode of public transport linking the bus routes with the rail stations, having a common ticketing facility, providing more buses to cater to the increasing demand and providing vertical parking facilities and underground parking lots as in New Delhi.
The second day’s session on environmental management focussed on the need to implement the coastal regulation zone rules and the management of solid wastes. There was also emphasis on creating a solid waste management authority. The session on land use and planning strategy and enforcement of development regulations witnessed criticism of the myth that a higher FSI would reduce land pricing.
The absence of a policy or provision for housing for the poor in the second draft Master Plan was highlighted. It was stressed that the rules on building regularisation must be tightened and the offenders punished.
Heritage should be treated as a local issue was the emphatic point made in this session. The role of the heritage committee in implementing conservation plans on the ground was highlighted. The Master Plan should take into account man-made and natural heritage such as wetlands and estuaries. "We cannot save the city from environmental disasters if they are not included in the Master plan," experts observed.
The builders’ representatives demanded that development control rules should be relaxed further and the builders given a client-like treatment. A single-window clearance for building permits instead of the 24 departments from which clearances are required would help, they said
The final session pointed to the road ahead. Vikram Kapur, Chief Executive Officer of the Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services, exhorted the people to look for innovative solutions for sustainable financing like the Alandur stormwater drain project involving public-private partnership. Rajesh Lakhoni, Chennai Corporation Commissioner, said there was enough public-private partnership as the elected representatives had come from the members of the public. Development projects get stalled because of too much debating, which he termed "analysis paralysis." , Civic Action Group referred to the marginalisation of communities such as fishermen and the teeming mass of the urban poor, who find no place in the draft Master Plan.
Though issues of environmental management and conservation were spread out through several sessions, the thrust was on making the polluter pay. The CMDA maintained the stand that its job in environmental conservation and solid waste management ended with approvals for the landfill siteHowever, ending on a cheerful not, the CMDA committed itself to a draft that will have an inclusive growth for vision 2026.
Recommendations
Select recommendations made in the workshop are presented below:
Population growth will stabilise by 2026 and infrastructure should be provided for the expected population.
Discussion on lopsided employment.
Extension of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) concept for lands taken over for development
Need for self-contained townships and satellite towns
Addressing real estate issues
Green building concepts to be promoted
Encourage the urbanisation of two and three-tier cities
Allow vertical development without compromising on the density
Employment and skill training in cluster development areas
Fishermen’s contribution to be included in the Master Plan
Poverty alleviation and slum improvement projects
Recognise that market forces decide the location of the informal sector businesses
Recycle waste water and identify new sources for water options
Increase bus fleet from 2800 to 9000
Inter-modal transport authority and common ticketing for bus and suburban railway
Stagger school timings and allot zones in market centres
Designate exclusive pedestrian areas
Advanced traffic management technologies
Implement coastal regulation zone rules
Prevent formation of new slums
Working women’s hostel and single-person’s quarters should be encouraged
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