COIMBATORE: The draft Coimbatore Master Plan 2041 has been flagged for ambiguity in allocation of public spaces. The Tamil Nadu Reserve Site Protection Association has filed a formal objection to it, alleging that it disregards essential public space allocations and lacks transparency in land-use classifications.
In a petition submitted to the Housing and Urban Development Department, the association's secretary, SP Thiyagarajan, said that while the plan covers both municipal and peripheral areas, it omits crucial details such as ward maps, block references, and layout incorporations. More importantly, the petition claims that the draft fails to designate mandatory Open Space Reservations (OSR), playgrounds, parks, and other community facilities that were clearly outlined in earlier development plans.
"Public welfare allocations such as parks, playfields, childcare centres, and health facilities have not been clearly marked. Instead, entire areas have been shaded in yellow without indicating their designated use. This creates ambiguity for citizens and benefits land grabbers who may misuse the absence of clarity," Thiyagarajan argued.
The petition points out that earlier Expansion Development Plans that have been approved under the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971, clearly marked public use zones, making it easier for both residents and courts to identify land status. In contrast, the 2041 draft master plan, the association says, replaces many of these details with broad classifications, making future disputes inevitable.
Citing past violations, the association highlighted that over the last two decades, several OSR lands were misused. Areas originally reserved for playgrounds, parks, or civic facilities were instead converted into ward offices, private halls, temples, and even commercial establishments. "This misuse by both individuals and authorities has already eroded public resources. If the new plan does not reinstate such allocations, the damage will become irreversible," the petition noted.
The association further referred to the 1920 Parks and Playfields Act and the 1994 Coimbatore Master Plan, which had explicitly safeguarded such spaces. They have now urged the government to restore these provisions in the 2041 plan and mark them in green for easy identification.
"If the omissions are not rectified, we will have no option but to seek legal remedy," Thiyagarajan warned, expressing hope that the government would intervene to protect community welfare.