CHENNAI: With the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) set for over a seven-fold expansion, the State government issued an order on January 22 asking the Collectors of Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Vellore to republish the project proposal in district gazette to get public opinion. The CMA will be expanded by encompassing the whole of Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts and the Arakkonam and Nemili taluks of Vellore district.
This would mean that the city would be expanded by another 7,700 sq.km from the earlier 1,189 sq. km, which could make it one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country.
In fact, such would be the proposed size of the area that it would be bigger than even the London Metropolitan Area which is a little over 8,300 sq km. As first reported by Express in August 2015, the objective of expanding the metro region is to earmark areas for economic development, generate employment, provide infrastructure integrated with major land use patterns to serve the region, besides a system of hierarchy of settlements in the whole region, assessing their development potential, and assigning future population and activities for further growth.
However, the huge expansion could pose a formidable challenge to the authorities on regulating development in such a vast area. Sources pointed out that though the TN Town and Country Planning Act provides for constitution of regional planning authority, it will be grossly inadequate for proposed Chennai Mega Regional Planning and Development Authority.
Formidable challenge
Sources say that though the TN Town and Country Planning Act provides for constitution of regional planning authority, it will be grossly inadequate for proposed CMRPDA.