The Hindu 22.06.2010
Revised master plan for HMDA ready
Special Correspondent
| It now consolidates all the earlier master plans and zonal plans |
The process involved circle-wise consultative public meetings to make it more transparent
There is a need for investment from government and private sector: Principal Secretary, MA&UD
Hyderabad: After a gap of 35 years, the city has got a revised master plan for the core area of HMDA (erstwhile MCH area). It consolidates all the earlier master plans and zonal plans and will now be a single document for easy reference.
The process stretched over an year and involved circle-wise consultative public meetings to make it more transparent and citizen-friendly. The 2000-odd objections and suggestions, including those from the GHMC, were scrutinised. The HMDA submitted the final plan and the zoning regulations to the government on Monday for approval.
Extended HUDA area
“It marks the end of a journey and beginning of another. We will now be embarking on preparation of a master plan for the extended HUDA area”, said B.P. Acharya, Metropolitan Commissioner, HMDA.
Addressing the stakeholders consultative meeting on preparation of draft master plan for the extended area here on Monday, he said the last comprehensive exercise was done in 1975.
T.S. Appa Rao, Principal Secretary, MA&UD, asked the HMDA to integrate all the master plans. People were taking a keen interest in the development of Hyderabad and therefore there was need for investment from government and private sector.
The extended area, he said, had lot of problems .There was no water supply and drainage system. The municipalities and gram panchyats had no network of sanitation and transport. Manikonda had emerged as a biggest village.
Inderjit Paul, director general, EPTRI, underscored the need for addressing the environmental concerns like solid waste management and climate change.
N.V.S. Reddy, Managing Director, Metro Rail Project, said the financial bids for the project would be opened on July 14, the concessional agreement would be signed in August and the work would commence in December. The project would be completed in next five years. The ORR was half ready and would be completed by 2012.
“Once ORR and Metro Rail are ready Hyderabad will be in a position to attract major investments”, Mr. Reddy said.
Utpal Sharma, chief consultant from CEPT University, gave an insight into the master plan for extended HUDA area. The main objective was to channelise development in a phased and planned manner. The HMDA population was estimated to touch 1.8 crore by 2031 necessitating creation of multiple nucleus centres.
The extended area comprises 635 settlements, including 26 uninhabited villages and seven urban settlements. The extended area is mainly rural with a population of 13.38 lakh. It spread over an area of 4920.53 sq. km.
