Administrator, UT approve The Draft Master Plan for Chandigarh (CMP) 2031

By 1 2 1 News Reporter

Chandigarh 10^th July: --- H.E. the Administrator, UT and the Governor Punjab Shivraj Patil has approved The Draft Master Plan for Chandigarh (CMP) 2031 prepared by the Master Plan Committee for receiving public objections.  The draft CMP shall be taken into consideration by the Chandigarh Administration through a Board of Inquiry/Hearing on or after the expiry of a period of thirty days from the date of publication.  The objections or suggestions, if any, will be received from the Chief Architect, Department of Urban Planning, Chandigarh Administration.

The draft Master Plan was sent to the Town & Country Planning Organisation, GOI who have supported its recommendations.  The Urban Planning Department of the UT Administration has uploaded the draft CMP on the official website of the Chandigarh Administration i.e. www.chandigarh.gov.in.  Copies of the draft Master Plan are also available at the Offices of the Deputy Commissioner, UT, the Commissioner, MC, the Central Library, Sector 17, Central Library, Sector 34, Library, Panjab University, Sector 14, Library, Chandigarh College of Architecture, Sector 12, Le Corbusier Centre, Sector 19, SDM Office, Sector 17, SDM Sector 42, SDM Office, Industrial Area, Phase I, Chandigarh and the Block Development & Panchayat Officer, Sector 19, Chandigarh. The copies of the CMP 2031 can also be purchased personally from the office of the Senior Town Planner, Department of Urban Planning, 5^th floor, UT Secretariat, Sector 9, Chandigarh at the cost of Rs. 6000/-.

Based on detailed studies of the existing ground realities including detailed SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threat) analysis, active engagements with various stakeholders, site visits, feedback from various departments of the Chandigarh Administration, presentations to the Administrator's Advisory Council, High Powered Coordination Committee, New Delhi, the comprehensive document  provides a  good vision of the manner in which the development and future planning of Chandigarh should be undertaken.  The draft CMP 2031 takes care of the imperative of maintaining the original character of the city and has appropriately incorporated follow up actions needed in pursuance of the report of the Expert Heritage Committee on the Preservation of Heritage of Chandigarh accepted by the Government of India. 

In view of the limited land available for future growth and infrastructure needs, and to maintain its low rise, green and spacious character, the holding capacity of the landlocked city has been capped for a population of 16 lakhs. While recommending redensification of identified pockets of single storeyed, low density original government housing stock of the city, the CMP advocates population dispersal strategies and housing strategies addressed through an Interstate Regional Plan to accommodate the balance projected population.   A holistic housing policy framework has been recommended to ensure that needs of all the socio-economic sections of the population are catered for and to address some of the aberrations in the city's development in the past. Judicious use of limited land, group housing in place of plotted development for the pockets identified for future housing alongwith compulsory provision for the economically weaker section in all housing schemes to avoid the emergence of slums in the city has also been proposed.

The entire area of 114 sq km comprising the Chandigarh Union Territory has been covered in the Master Plan and includes the 70 sq km of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the original plan prepared by Le Corbusier and Phase 3 sectors besides the area under the periphery.  No change has been proposed in the landuse already defined in the sectors falling in the three phases, however to meet the requirements of basic infrastructure / amenities due to increase in population and other contingencies, intensive utilization of existing facilities including heath care, education, recreation has been permitted subject to ensuring that changes do not adversely impact the quality of life and overall character. Urban renewal, streetscaping of the existing neighbourhood and city level commercial centres and the Industrial Area Phase I and II have been strongly recommended to meet the modern day requirements and to enable community interaction.

Additional land for administrative / institutional use has been planned in the Sarangpur Institutional area, along Vikas Marg, Chandigarh Kalka Highway, area adjoining Chandigarh Armed Police Complex along Chandigarh Mullanpur road, West of 38.

17 vacant pockets have been identified in the periphery and landuse for each pocket has been sensitively proposed to meet the future requirements for housing, institutions, commercial, social and physical infrastructure taken into consideration the Edict of Chandigarh, preservation of ecology and environment, compatibility with the adjoining landuse, and the ongoing projects of the Chandigarh Administration.  Development plans for each village and notification of building byelaws to improve the quality of life of the residents of the villages and adjoining areas.

The Draft CMP has dealt extensively with the traffic and transportation problems and recommends a people centric, efficient, reliable multi modal mass rapid transport system. Laying stress on retrofitting the existing road network, providing seamless pedestrian and cycle movement to enable comfortable and safe last mile connectivity, it also proposes twelve green corridors running north – south connecting and exposing various areas of the city and offering enriched adventure trails for the youth.

Detailed recommendations for reducing the carbon footprint through enhancement of green cover, forestation on one hand while simultaneously ensuring the preservation of the open spaces by declaring the landuse inviolable, adoption of green building concepts, solar passive designs, fast tracking Solar City concept to harness solar energy, reduce, recycle and reuse policies for solid waste management, water management have been elaborated for the sustainable development of the city.  Safe guarding the flora and fauna of the Sukhna Wild Life Sanctuary through declaration of eco-sensitive area, wild life corridor linking the Sanctuary with the sukhna forest, eco sensitive zone for patiali-ki-rao and Sukhna choe to preserve the natural rivulets have been highlighted in the report.

For the preparation of the Master Plan, the Chandigarh Administration had constituted the committee comprising of Ms.Sumit Kaur, Chief Architect, Chandigarh Administration, S K Chadda, Chief Engineer, Chandigarh Administration, M N Sharma, Retd. Chief Architect, Ms Madhu Sarin, Development Planner and Architect, Sh. S.D. Sharma, Architect, Ms. Namita Singh Practicing Architect, Mr. K K Kaul Chief Town Planner, Punjab (Retd),  Prof Rajnish Wattas, Principal Chandigarh College of Architecture (Retd), Jit Kumar Gupta  Senior Town Planner Punjab (Retd), Sh Sk Jaitley, Chief Engineer, UT (Retd.) Chandigarh Administration and Sh VK Goyal Senior Town Planner, Chandigarh Administration.