TN planning new satellite city near South Chennai

C Shivakumar @ Chennai: 

Could Chennai have a satellite city on the southern suburbs like that of in Pune and Kolakata? This what the state planning department has mooted in a bid to decongest Chennai.

It is learnt that the state government is working on a proposal to develop a satellite city on 500 hectares to 1,000 hectares in the south of Chennai towards Chengalpet.

It is learnt from planning department sources that Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority has been asked to send in a proposal for creating the satellite city in such a manner that it doesn’t pose fiscal challenges.

Sources indicated that the state government is looking at land pooling on a large scale along with comprehensive urban planning to woo people.

Land pooling, a more equitable scheme where landowners would become partners in the joint venture development, was announced in 2012-13 based on Justice Mohan committee recommendation. While the draft land pooling policy is ready but several issues remain. Sources claim that the government is looking at implementing the scheme either through a government agency or through a trust model or by a corporate special purpose vehicle model.

With land being a scarce commodity, the satellite city or sub-city is being planned to be created in partnership with farmers or land owners.

The idea is to create a residential new town, said sources adding that the plan is to compensate farmers or land owners by providing residential flats or money as compensation, government jobs or skill development programmes for family members and farmers so as to undertake swift process of land acquisitions.

Sources claim the idea is to decongest the city put past exercises have highlighted that such schemes had been a failure. The 1972 proposal to develop 178 acres of land to develop satellite town at Marimalai Nagar to regulate population growth of city as suggested by the First Master plan has been a non-starter with CMDA trying reclaim the lands which it had acquired 40 years ago.

Similar has been the status of Manali New Town, a satellite town in North Chennai proposed in early 90s which also never materialized. While sources blame planners for focusing less on planning and more on lucrative area plans unit and enforcement, it is learnt that CMDA hardly has any new projects up its sleeve.

 Interestingly, sources claim that the proposed sub-city will accelerate socio-economic growth and address major challenges faced in existing Chennai city.

The move by the state government also comes in the wake of the city looking at second airport for Chennai besides a new bus terminus is being proposed in Kilambakkam to decongest Chennai Moffusil Bus Terminus in Koyambedu.

The state government has also identified Madurantakam and Uttaramerur in South of Chennai as possible sites for second airport along with Gumidipoondi and Sriperumbudur.

Proposed satellite city factfile;

1.  The proposal is to build the saterllite city in 500 hectares to 1,000 hectares.

2.  The idea is to have a sub-city similar on the lines of Magarpatta satellite city in Pune and New Town satellite city in Kolkata

3.  The land is proposed to be acquired through land pooling

4.   The city is being planned as there is a need to go in for new area with integrated infrastructure since existing city reached saturation level