CHENNAI: The planning agencies have been instructed to ensure that while giving planning permission to individual sites, the issue of inundation of surrounding areas adjoining the site for which the approval is given, is taken into account. A top housing department official told Express that instruction has been given to Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and Directorate of Town and Country Planning, after there have been issues of inundation being reported in low-lying areas after individual sites were being raised by developer, based on remarks from the water resources department.
This comes as applications for either reclassification or planning permission for the sites located near water bodies and low-lying areas received by CMDA or other planning authorities, are forwarded to the water resources department to ascertain the inundation problems of the site and necessary precaution to be done to protect the site from flooding.
Usually, water resources department of public works department offers remarks mainly to raise the level of the site and the recommendation is made with reference to individual site, the official said.The implication of recommendation of raising the level of an individual site and the impact of such measures on the surrounding areas, are not given due importance, said the official. “Raising one site in a low-lying area could affect surrounding areas and upstream areas and there have been a couple of cases in this regard,” the official added.
As a result, the planning agencies in a larger interest has been requested to address the concerns of the impact for the surrounding areas as well as while making recommendations for any particular site in isolation of its surrounding, the official added.Consequently, planning agencies like Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and Directorate of Town and Country Planning, will now have to address these issues while giving planning approvals.