CHENNAI: As part of the preparation of the Mamallapuram New Town Development Plan, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) organised a series of stakeholder meetings in an effort to create a development roadmap for the historic port town of Mamallapuram over the next 20 years.
The meetings come after the appointment of Creative Circle, Nagpur, as the planning consultant, in accordance with an announcement made in the state Assembly in January 2023, and a subsequent G.O. issued by the Housing and Urban Development Department.
The proposed planning area extends to Mamallapuram and 25 surrounding villages, in a total area of 123.48 sq km. The coastal town has received renewed attention at the national and international levels in recent years due to hosting the informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in October 2019, the Chess Olympiad in July 2022, and G20 meetings more recently.
The project is in line with the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission, which had emphasised on the dual focus of reviving old cities and developing new ones during the period of 2021-22 to 2025-26. The Mamallapuram project is being implemented under the Urban Mobility and Spatial Development framework.
According to sources, the stakeholder consultations were conducted with government departments, local residents, tourism-related stakeholders, and industry representatives to take inputs on land use, infrastructure, mobility, environmental protection, and economic activity.
The initial round of consultations took place at the Mamallapuram municipal office on Wednesday. It was attended by government representatives.
According to officials, the consultations are aimed at ensuring that the new town plan is in line with the local conditions and constraints. The inputs received will be used only for preparing the development plan.