CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation has finalised the new zonal map for the city with 20 zones against the earlier 15, as announced by the Municipal Administration department on Friday.
As per the restructured zones, zones 3, 4 and 5, which will contain parts of Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar, Perambur, Harbour, Royapuram, Kolathur and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Assembly constituencies, have the highest population. With a projected population of just over 1.5 lakh, zone 19 will be the least populated.
In terms of property count, zone 17, which will contain parts of Mylapore, Saidapet and Velachery Assembly constituencies, ranks the highest with 96,133 properties, followed by zone 12 (87,634) which will have parts of Theagaraya Nagar and Virugambakkam constituencies.
In terms of area, zone 1 covering parts of Madhavaram, Ponneri and Tiruvottiyur constituencies is the largest with 54.69 square kilometres, and zone 10, covering parts of Chepauk-Triplicane and Mylapore is the smallest, spanning 8.4 square kilometres.
Officials who were part of the zonal restructuring process said the process was based on projected population in 2023 based on the 2011 census and population density, the electoral roll, property tax assessments and lastly, the number of streets and street density.
“There were several iterations to the parameters between the time the zonal restructuring was announced and the finalisation of the map. We came to a consensus that this combination of parameters would be the most scientific approach to achieve our objectives,” an official said.
The G.O. dated February 28 quoted the GCC commissioner stating that at present, there was a variation of seven times between the less densely populated zones and the more densely populated zones. Moreover, the population density was higher in core city areas. Due to this, there was over-allocation of resources and manpower in zones with less population and vice versa. Since the staffing patterns were the same in each zone, delivery of public services in the last mile gets affected in densely populated core city zones, the order said. As regards roads, zone 14, which will cover parts of the Maduravoyal constituency, has 4,838 roads, the highest in the city.
“Roads were brought in as a criteria, since in some parts where the population is over 3 lakh, there were around 100 roads and in others where the population was only around 2 lakh, there were around 150,” an official said.
Six new zonal offices have been proposed based on the restructured zones and posts are to be created for five zonal officers. The order issued to this effect states the ward committees are to be reconstituted as per the new zonal composition and that fresh indirect elections to the posts of ward committee chairmen for 20 zones.
