Arakkonam to Come Under Chennai Limits Now

Now Arakkonam to come under Chennai limits - The Hindu News Paper 17 Apr 2013.

The Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) is all set to cover the whole of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts as well as Arakkonam taluk in Vellore district.

Minister for housing and urban development R. Vaithilingam on Tuesday made an announcement on the Chennai Mega Region to this effect.

“A preliminary report to expand the jurisdiction of CMA to 8,878 sq km is being examined by the government,” said Mr. Vaithilingam.

The existing jurisdiction of CMA covering 1,189 sq km in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts was declared in 1973-1974.

“Areas outside the CMA are witnessing rapid development and there is a need to integrate these developments with Chennai,” he added.

Census 2011 data confirms that population growth within Chennai district has slowed, while in the adjacent districts of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur, it has increased.

The focus of planned development in the expanded CMA therefore, is likely to be move beyond Vandalur-Kelambakkam Road towards the south.

Satellite Township

The Minister also announced a development plan for the Tiruporur-Maraimalai Nagar Corridor comprising 134 villages covering an area of 562 sq. km. This will involves the preparation of base maps, collection of demographic and social data, a physical survey, preparation of existing land-use maps, analysis of current level of infrastructure facilities, projection of population and future needs and working out spatial strategies.

“The Thirumazhisai Satellite Township scheme will be implemented at the earliest,” said Mr. Vaithilingam. The creation of this township, on the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway, was announced by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in 2011.

The township will come up on 311.05 acres of land, owned by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board. It will include the villages of Chembarambakkam, Kuthambakkam, Parvatharajapuram, Narasingapuram and Vellavedu.

A total of 12,000 flats will be constructed here, and be made available to economically weak sections and to low and middle-income groups.

Reconstruction scheme

The Minister also announced reconstruction schemes in 17 areas within the city. The schemes include the construction of 3,646 flats as part of the Tamil Nadu Government Servants Rental Housing Scheme and 2,606 flats under a self-financed scheme at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,740 crore.

Occupants in several existing dilapidated structures have already been asked to vacate. The Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board will complete the construction of 16,856 tenements in Chennai at a cost of Rs. 913.60 crore under the JNNURM in 2013-2014.

A socio-economic survey of slums under the Rajiv Awas Yojana is also underway in the city.

The survey is part of a larger scheme to ensure the city is slum-free in the near future.

What the expanded city can look forward to:

1. An audit of rainwater harvesting systems in all buildings 

2. Sports infrastructure development in open space reservation areas

3. Land use information system for the metropolitan area 

4. A multi-modal transport integration study to improve transport network

5. A study on the development along Outer Ring Road to ease traffic congestion