Tirumazhisai to be developed as city of clusters

CHENNAI: Located close to manufacturing hubs like Sriperumpudur, Ambattur, Oragadam and Irungattukottai, Tirumazhisai New Town will become a city of clusters and innovation, as the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has proposed developing several economical clusters to reduce travel time and increase productivity.

The planning authority has submitted its proposal to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) seeking Rs. 1,000 crore to develop the new town.

According to the proposal, Tirumazhisai new town will be developed as an innovation city with research platforms, testing zones, waste reduction and public transport-oriented development. “It aims to attract global players, allocate zones for sunrise sectors, and promote last-mile connectivity through public transport and intermediate public transportation modes,” it said.

The city would be subdivided into clusters with a transport loop (interlinks connecting the clusters) with an 800m to 1,000m walking radius. The loop concept focuses on sustainable aspects in biodiversity, energy, water and waste, land use, socio-economic, and transport. Clusters are planned with multiple product mixes to reduce travel time and increase productivity, the document said.

Meanwhile, the planning authority has invited consultants to prepare a detailed development plan for Tirumazhisai new town. The development would be undertaken in a way to preserve and enhance the Blue-Green corridor, with 11 per cent of the site area proposed as open spaces and 77 per cent as buffer green areas.

A few months ago, the Housing and Urban Development Department issued an order to include 17 villages in the new town, including Tirumazhisai, Chembarambakkam, Kuthambakkam and Nazarethpettai, encompassing an area of 34.10 sqkm. Apart from Tirumazhisai, there is a proposal to develop Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Minjur and Chengalpattu as new towns, of which Kancheepuram will be developed as a heritage city. It may be noted that CMDA is constructing a bus terminus in Kuthambakkam to operate services to western districts.