TN Govt to Complete Chennai's 3rd Master Plan before 2026 Deadline

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday said the preparation of the third master plan for Chennai in consultation with all stakeholders will be completed well before the 2026 deadline. Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit said that satellite towns will be developed in suburban areas with modern amenities to decongest large cities in the state. Regional plans will be prepared to cover the entire state. The boundaries of the Chennai Corporation were extended to include 42 adjacent local bodies. There are still gaps in the basic infrastructure in these added areas, which will be addressed. This comes as the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is set to finalise an international consultant to draw up a draft long-term vision for the third master plan. Many international consultants have shown interest in drafting a long-term vision for the third master plan. The long-term vision will focus on desirable urban development of the CMA through a participatory approach while reviewing global experiences in building a city vision. The preparation of the master plan for Chennai is part of the Tamil Nadu Housing and Habitat Development Project (TNHHDP), a World Bank financed project of the state government. A total of US$9 million for CMDA, up to the financial year 2023-24, has been approved by the World Bank as part of the project for CMDA. The technical assistance from the World Bank includes a climate and disaster resilience study and geo-spatial mapping to feed into the Master Plan preparation process. Meanwhile, for preparing regional plans across the state, the state lacks adequate qualified town planners, sources told The New Indian Express. Currently, only a meagre 5 per cent area in the state has a master plan that guides development in a sustainable manner by taking a holistic view of the demands and limitations. Association of Professional Town Planners (APTP) president K M Sadanand said for the last 100 years, Tamil Nadu has had only one development authority unlike other states which have multiple authorities and stressed the need for 15 development authorities across the state.