CHENNAI: Even as the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is racing against time to notify third master plan (TMP) for Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA), state housing and urban development department has decided to rope in international town planning experts to review the draft third master plan.
A senior department official said CMDA has prepared the draft master plan and the government has decided to review it thoroughly. “Process to finalise the master plan is ongoing and steps have been taken to release the draft before September,” the official added.
CMDA has been preparing the TMP for the last 5 years at a cost of nearly Rs 2.5 crore as the second master plan will lapse in September. If completed and notified, the TMP will have a horizon period till 2047.
Meanwhile, a source privy to the development said the draft TMP has several shortcomings and practical difficulties. “The master plan cannot be implemented completely as per the present draft. After review by the experts, it will be tweaked if necessary.
If the experts suggest a new draft, the department will prepare a fresh one,” the source added. The planning authority first commenced the process to prepare the TMP in December 2020 and conducted public consultations in December 2022.
The authority conducted over 15 studies including gender inclusive urban planning, income pattern, land use pattern, blue-green infrastructure, temporal growth and others to prepare a vision document, which was the base document for the TMP.