Stalin approves CMA expansion to 5,904 sqkm

CHENNAI: A government order expanding the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) is expected in a few weeks as Chief Minister MK Stalin has accorded his approval for the proposal in a meeting held at the Secretariat three days ago.

According to an official source, CM Stalin reviewed the proposal in detail during the meeting in which officials from Chennai Corporation and Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority participated along with State Housing and urban development department secretary Hitesh Kumar S Makwana.

“As the CM has given go ahead, the proposal will be sent to the law department before issuing a final notification. It will take at least a month for the law department to review and release the order,” the source said.

The government has decided to expand Chennai Metropolitan Area up to 5,904 sqkm based on which the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) has also taken measures to update the comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) for the city to cover the expanded areas. The expanded CMA will encompass the whole of the Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Thiruvallur districts. Now, only some parts of these neighbouring districts of Chennai are under CMA.

Presently, the extent of CMA is only 1,189 sqkm for which master plans and mobility plans have been prepared.

The government had initially proposed to expand CMA to cover 8,878 sqkm to cover some parts of the Ranipet and Tiruvannamalai districts. However, after several meetings with stakeholders, the plan was revised.

On the rationale behind the expansion, the official source explained that the expansion will pave way for better planning in the expanded areas through which natural resources could be saved from over-exploitation.

On the other hand, the CMDA has already commenced the process to prepare a third master plan for the present CMA (1,189 sqkm) and regional plans for newly annexed areas.