Secunderabad Cantonment area to have its own master plan

The Secunderabad Cantonment area will soon have its own master plan with the state government ratifying the proposals of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).

The Secunderabad Cantonment area will soon have its own master plan with the state government ratifying the proposals of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).

As on date, there is no existing master plan for Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) area and the total area of SCB is about 42 sq.kms.

Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is also the Chairman of the HMDA, during the fifth meeting of HMDA held at the Secretariat two days ago has approved for preparation of a master plan for Secunderabad Cantonment area.

HMDA officials told Express that the SCB authorities have approached HMDA authorities recently and requested them to give consent for preparation of master plan for SCB area and the cost for preparing the master plan would be borne by them.

It will be the first time since Independence, that defence and civilian localities will be identified through proper survey. Though attempts were made to prepare master plans earlier but nothing  materialised.

Now efforts would be made for comprehensive master plan to check haphazard growth in the Cantonment area. Due to lack of master plan, there are no land use specifications and as a result shopping, commercial establishments have sprung up indiscriminately destroying the atmosphere in many residential areas.

Most of the shopping malls and commercial establishments in Secunderabad Cantonment limits are illegal.

As per norms, a city development plan projecting future development of roads, water, sewerage and storm water drains and an indent of existing land use and a future land use plan is  mandatory to obtain grants under all Central schemes such as Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) and other Central government schemes.

The master plan will earmark space for laying road network, water lines, sewage lines, declare civil area and other lands.

The demarcation of civilian areas will give a clear idea of the boundaries of defence and other categories of land besides defining commercial, residential, industrial, educational and multiple land use zones that are a must for planned growth and development in any major city.

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The New Indian Express
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