The Corporation has proposed a new township to spur development and growth.
What’s it about? The CMDA has proposed five new townships on the edges of the expanded Chennai region. Chengalpattu will be the largest of these in hopes it’ll rein in the unorganised infrastructure development and construction. Previously, officials developed facilities based on the individual requirements of the localities. Now, there’ll be a holistic and sustainable roadmap.
- Chengalpattu will have the district headquarters and expand to cover 136 sq km. An initial survey showed 22% would be forested areas, 8% waterbodies, and the remaining land.
- The CMDA plan will integrate the existing rail and road infrastructure into the overall vision. In all the projects planned, making them climate-resilient will be factored in.
Lake restoration & planning approach: There are plans to make Kolavai Lake a tourist spot by renovating it and then transforming the area around it as a recreational space. It’ll also be a source of water for the new township. The new township plan was lauded by urban planning expert A Srivathsan. He said planners should focus on poly-centric towns to prevent unplanned urban sprawls.
- While a planned city is the right approach, implementation will be key. This is especially important in an area like Chengalpattu, with its fertile agricultural lands and waterbodies.
(Image credits: Google Maps)