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Urban Planning

CMDA declared a centre for research

Wednesday, 13 February 2013 08:38 administrator
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The Hindu            13.02.2013

CMDA declared a centre for research

New statusAt least five to ten research papers are likely to be generated from the research centre in its first year —Photo: R. Ravindran
New statusAt least five to ten research papers are likely to be generated from the research centre in its first year —Photo: R. Ravindran

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has been recognised as a research centre by the Centre for Research, Anna University.

With this, students, teachers and researchers in urban planning will have easy access to data and documents on these subjects. CMDA on Tuesday announced that the move will allow for “ collaborative research for the purpose of pursuing Ph.D/M.S (by research programme) under part time mode with effect from January 2013.”

The move is expected to specifically benefit planners who are currently employed with CMDA and who wish to pursue research. Many of them are pursuing research after retirement from CMDA as they were not able to do so while at work. “The officials of CMDA with relevant UG/PG qualification will also be permitted to register for Ph. D/M.S (by research programme) under part-time mode. This recognition is to be renewed once in three years in compliance with the required norms of Anna University,” the release said.

“Good research papers will get published by planners associated with CMDA. This will provide an answer to challenging aspects of urban planning and development in Chennai. In its first year, the centre is likely to churn out five to 10 research papers. We cannot expect a large number of research papers as the planners will also have to do their day-to-day job,” said S. Santhanam, former member-chief urban planner, CMDA.

The existing data generated by CMDA will be subjected to rigorous research by its own staff and other scholars. This is expected to solve challenges to urban planning.

“We need research in a number of topics. The best landuse and economics to promote public transportation; pollution and other benchmarks in planning to aid selection of appropriate projects; preservation and creation of water bodies, marshland and urban forestry in an expanding city; and very importantly planning to aid the expansion of the economy," said Raj Cherubal, Director of CityConnect.

“Institutions such as Harvard and MIT send their students to Chennai to study challenges to urban planning. The new status of CMDA may facilitate better access to data. Scholars can directly contact resource persons,” said a retired official of CMDA.

Last Updated on Thursday, 14 February 2013 10:17
 

Corporation stops work in multi-storey hospital building

Thursday, 30 August 2012 04:28 administrator
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The Hindu    30.08.2012

Corporation stops work in multi-storey hospital building

Staff Reporter

Action will be taken against all buildings that have violated rules: Commissioner

Unauthorised:The hospital building at P.P. Chavadi in the city where work was stopped by officials on Wednesday.— Photo: S. James
 
Unauthorised:The hospital building at P.P. Chavadi in the city where work was stopped by officials on Wednesday.— Photo: S. James

: Following the steps of Local Planning Authority (LPA) in taking action against unauthorised construction of buildings in the city, the Madurai Corporation on Wednesday swung into action and stopped work in a multi-storey hospital building under construction at P.P. Chavadi.

Instructed by the Corporation Commissioner, R. Nanthagopal, the Chief Town Planning Officer, M. Rakkappan, ordered stoppage of construction work and asked the labourers to leave before locking the gates of the premises along Theni Main Road.

Mr. Nanthagopal said that one doctor, Vijayaraj, was constructing the hospital building with a basement, ground floor and three storeys without proper building plan approval.

Stating that those at the site claimed to have got permission for ground floor and two storeys, the Commissioner said that they could produce any relevant documents to the Corporation officials.

Construction to the extent of over 28,000 square feet was going on when the officials stopped work and seized construction materials worth Rs. 50,000.

Violation of rules

The construction had violated building rules and provisions of Development Control Regulation Act.

This is the first building the Corporation has taken action against for want of proper building plan approval.

The Collector, Anshul Mishra, who is also the head of LPA, had warned of taking stern action against buildings that violated established building norms.

Based on his instructions, the officials of LPA had stopped work in two multi-storey buildings, one in Tallakulam and another in Alwarpuram.

Besides, the premises of a multi-storey apartment on Kothandaraman Road in Keeraithurai was sealed recently.

The Commissioner said that similar action would be taken against all buildings that violated the rules.

Enumeration under way

He added that enumeration of such building was under way.

Last Updated on Thursday, 30 August 2012 04:32
 

Civic body to seek GO for regularising unapproved layouts in new wards

Thursday, 30 August 2012 04:26 administrator
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The Hindu    30.08.2012

Civic body to seek GO for regularising unapproved layouts in new wards

S.Ganesan  

Tiruchi Corporation will soon approach the government seeking an order for the regularisation of unapproved residential layouts in the five newly added wards in the city.

The five new wards were created following the merger of the Tiruverumbur Town Panchayat and the Pappakurichi, Ellakudi, Keezha Kalkandarkottai and Alathur panchayats, all in the eastern suburb of the city, with the Corporation following delimitation some months back. The five new wards are spread over the Golden Rock and Ariyamangalam zones in the city.

According to sources, there were over a hundred unapproved residential layouts in the new wards with over 14,000 plots. Several houses have already come up in the residential localities.

However, the Corporation has not been able to issue building plan approvals for plots located in these unapproved layouts consequent to the merger of these areas. Property tax revision too has not yet been taken up in these areas after they were merged with the Corporation.

An official resolution on the subject would soon be tabled before the Corporation Council seeking approval for approaching the government for issuing an order to regularise the unapproved layouts and plots.

The Corporation has already sent a report to the Commissioner of Municipal Administration stating that there were about 14,000 unapproved plots in the give new wards. This apart, there were about 2,300 unapproved plots in the other 60 wards of the Corporation as well.

A few years back, it was pointed out, the government had issued orders for regularising unapproved layouts as a one-time measure. Initially, the Corporation was empowered to regularise the layouts after collecting open space reservation charge, development and regularisation fees. Subsequently, the scheme was simplified to regularise plots in the layouts by collecting Rs.5 per square feet.

The Corporation would now seek either an extension of the previous order or a fresh GO for regularising the about 16,300 unapproved layouts that have been identified now, the sources said.

Last Updated on Thursday, 30 August 2012 04:28
 
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