GUWAHATI: The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority
(GMDA) has decided to expand its area from the existing 328 sq km to
around 2,000 sq km. The decision was taken at a recent meeting of the
Guwahati development department (GDD) and GMDA officials with chief minister Tarun Gogoi
and GDD minister Ajanta Neog. The GMDA had proposed expansion of the
Guwahati metropolitan region area to accommodate around 2.3 million
people by the year 2025 along with the required infrastructure and
facilities.

A government statement said the decision to expand
the GMDA area was taken after a detailed discussion and suggestions by
the chief minister on the need and urgency of expanding the Guwahati
metropolitan region. This will help regulate development taking place
along the periphery of the present metropolitan area of Guwahati.

Once the area is expanded, Morigaon, Jagiroad, Nalbari, Rangia,
Mangaldoi, Hajo and Chaygaon-Rampur areas will be developed as satellite
towns with proper infrastructure and civic amenities, the statement
explained. The GMDA will examine the prospect of a joint venture with
government and private developers for creating planned townships in
these places. The GMDA also proposed to acquire land so that planned
development can be carried out by the authority.

“The GMDA felt
the need to expand the metropolitan region of Guwahati so that a
comprehensive plan can be put in place for the region as a whole.
Accordingly, the need for delineation of a new metropolitan region and
revision of the existing master plan for Guwahati assumes importance,”
said M Angamuthu, chief executive officer of the GMDA.

He added
that exponential increase in population and unplanned growth within the
present Guwahati metropolitan area over the years has created enormous
pressure on the environment, availability of land and infrastructure,
causing major crisis like destruction of ecosystem, annual flooding and
absence of basic infrastructure.