HYDERABAD: To check haphazard development and ensure a balanced and integrated development of urban areas in the state, as many as 20 urban local bodies (ULBs) will have master plans prepared for planned development. Barring the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), no other ULB has master plan in place, which is causing haphazard growth of towns and cities.
The successive governments in the past 30 years have issued innumerable orders, asking the ULBs to have master plans but without success. The central government has received financing from the World Bank for the Telangana Municipal Development Project [TMDP] and intends to utilise a part of it for availing consultancy services for preparation of master plan for 20 ULBs under TMDP whose implementation period is seven months. Consultants invited two days ago to submit expression of interest.
The absence of a master plan or a general town planning scheme is affecting the quality of life and environment due to flooding, lack of services, congestion, lack of space for community buildings and lack of green spaces and parks. The main objective of having a master plan is to provide necessary guidance and framework for a balanced and integrated development of a city or a town.
In the past various urban uses got mixed up, leading to chaotic growth. But a master plan ensures integrated development through spatial, economic and infrastructure planning in a scientific manner. Among the advantages of having a master plan are it provides a spatial framework for realising economic and environmental objectives, helps generate public consensus around development, coordinates investment and environmental improvement plans, targets planning efforts in action areas with specific opportunities.
Municipal administration officials told Express that inadequate water supply, sanitation and waste water managements have been a major issue with several ULBs. The TMDP objective is to help improve high priority urban services in selected cities and build capacity or ULBs to develop and manage urban services. These are required to ensure the effectiveness of urban planning.
ULBs to have integrated development
Medak, Zaheerabad, Tandur, Sadashivpet, Gadwal, Narayanpet, Wanaparthy, Armoor, Bodhan, Kamareddy, Janagaon, Jagityal, Kothagudem, Manuguru, Sathupally, Palwancha, Nirmal, Bhainsa, Kagaznagar and Sircilla. The combined area of these towns comes to around 487.87 sq.km.