Green Plan for Chengalpattu satellite town to reduce carbon footprint

 C Shivakumar @ Chennai

The proposed Chengalpattu satellite town, comprising 60 villages from Chengalpattu, Thirukazhukundram and Thiruporur taluks, is being planned with an aim to reduce the carbon footprint and will have a power supply leveraging on a green power source.
The planning of the 9,553-hectare area would be done by taking into account the latest climate change strategies being followed in India as well as Tamil Nadu. This also comes as the state is planning to become carbon neutral by 2050.
CMDA is planning to hire a consultant for preparing a development plan. It will focus on sourcing green power for the satellite city apart from energy efficiency and watershed management.
According to the tender document, accessed by TNIE, the focus is on less carbon-intensive urban growth and the smaller built-up footprint of the metropolitan area.  The New Town Development Plan is expected to promote compact, mixed-use, mixed-income urban development using transit-oriented development, that is growth along the transport corridors.
The new city is likely to have a mobility plan for passengers and freight apart from features such as pedestrianization and cycling to reduce carbon footprint. Sources said that there is also a plan for heritage conservation and gender-inclusive plans that consider safe access to services and public places.
The other aspects include safe and affordable mobility; safety from violence and perceived gender-based violence; health and hygiene; security of tenure to affordable housing; employment opportunity and climate resilience plan that takes cognizance of the needs of differently-abled people and complies with the laws for differently abled people.
The housing minister in the state assembly last year announced the formation of new town development plans to develop urban growth centres in Thirumazhisai, Minjur, Thiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram and their respective surrounding areas as satellite towns. Subsequently, the New Town Development Plan for Chennai Metropolitan Area (Preparation, Publication, and Sanction) Rules, 2022 was issued under Section 18 of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971.