Srivathsan reports in The Hindu today that the Tamil Nadu Government has asked for a fresh draft of the Second Master Plan for Chennai, which has been stillborn and kept in governmental formaldehyde now many years.
It is of course significant that much of the planning input that went into the earlier Second Master Plan draft was based on the situation before the IT/ITES and retailing boom. These sectors are now expanding with unprecedented speed in Chennai, along with the automotive sector, with serious consequences for real estate prices, traffic, pollution, water availability and quality and overall quality of life (in short, going the Bangalore way).
It is also useful that Srivathsan reminds everyone about the expanding physical area and the population of Chennai -- 306 villages in 10 panchayats, 28 town panchayats, eight municipalities and a cantonment, stretching over 1,177 square kilometres. Phew! For those who are new to the city, Chennai has only rudimentary sewerage and piped water supply and most local governments listed above have next to no sewerage and grossly inadequate water sources. But many are now hosting Spanish villas and English gardens!
Srivathsan's report on the plan for a Chennai Metro rail is also informative.
If you want to see more of a planned gated community, watch this slideshow:
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