The Hindu              25.10.2013

Plastic bags seized

A team of Corporation and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board officials seized plastic bags and cups on Thursday.

The officials seized the non-recyclable plastic bags and cups from a few wholesale shops here. More raids would continue, the officials said.

The Hindu             24.10.2013

Second master plan committees reconstituted

Staff Reporter

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has re-constituted five committees to monitor the progress of the Second Master Plan.

The committees on economy and employment, shelter, infrastructure and investment planning, land use and environment, traffic and transportation will advise the CMDA and various departments on action to be taken to achieve the objectives of the Second Master Plan, prioritise policies, programmes and action plans recommended and advise the departments concerned to implement projects.

In 2008, the government constituted six committees to cope with changes in the Chennai Metropolitan Area. But, the committees stopped meeting two years ago. Now, the re-constituted committees on infrastructure and investment planning have been clubbed together, bringing down the number to five.

The recommendations of the re-constituted committees will have an impact on the implementation of the Second Master Plan.

At a meeting this week, officials of CMDA stressed the need for keeping Development Regulations unchanged in the Chennai Metropolitan Area under the Second Master Plan until the creation of the Metropolitan Regional Development Authority. The State government is yet to give its nod for the development of a regional plan. The committees will recommend detailed studies to be made for effective implementation of the programmes and action plan, frame detailed policies such as affordable housing policy and pedestrian safety, recommend corrections and identify measurable indicators to monitor the progress.

Regular meetings

The re-constituted committees will meet every three months. As the Second Master Plan covers a span of 20 years, the committees play a key role in keeping the plan on track. The studies proposed to be carried out as part of the Second Master Plan will receive funding after the committees submit their recommendations.

The studies will cover topics such as land needs for informal and small-scale enterprises, income and employment in formal and informal sectors, rate of urban growth and level of investments in infrastructure, affordable housing and primary health care and incidence of diseases.

The committees, set up in 2008, had stopped meeting nearly two years ago.