300 people attend meeting on draft Master Plan

Lack of adequate awareness about the scope of public consultations on the draft Master Plan for Chennai is becoming a point of worry for planners.People have not fully understood the scope of public consultations for the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) Draft Master Plan, a policy document, said CMDA officials at the conclusion of the consultations at Minjur and Avadi here on Saturday.

"We have received several queries about individual properties and how they are likely to be affected by upcoming projects and proposed land use in the Master Plan," said a senior CMDA official. However, residents' knowledge of local facilities would help in understanding problems.Work on the Detailed Development Plan would commence after feasible suggestions made during the consultations were incorporated into the policy document at the end of the stipulated three months.

Only then would details of how individuals were likely to be affected become available, officials said. Maps representing proposed land use in the Chennai Metropolitan Area, including catchment areas, residential zones, road networks and water bodies, were put up at the Mullai Thirumana Mandapam at Avadi.Local bodies falling under the Chennai Metropolitan area would shortly receive maps detailing proposed land use that would be put up at the civic body headquarters.Some 300 people participated in the consultation at Avadi. Officials also received some requests for additional infrastructure such as parks and playgrounds.

At Minjur, close to 200 participants took part in the consultation.Specific queries about how the area would be linked to the Ennore port and how widening of the Tiruvottiyur Panjetti Ponneri Road would affect individual properties were received.The next consultations would be held at Tondiarpet and Sholinganallur on May 19.