KHB plans satellite town off Hosur Road

KHB plans satellite town off Hosur Road

The Hindu

Surya City to come up on 283 acres near Iglur-Banahalli

# Satellite town situated around 14 km from Koramangala
# Project to have 2,004 housing units, 1,956 plots of different
# Proximity to IT corridor is an added attraction
# Satellite town to have rainwater harvesting facilities, water recycling plant

Bangalore: The southeastern periphery of the city suffered the most during last month's heavy rain. However, the Karnataka Housing Board hopes that the situation will not be repeated in a satellite town that the board has planned in that area.

Spread over 283 acres, Surya City has been planned for 2,004 housing units and the project, which was on the shelves for more than a year, has now been approved by the Union Government.

The former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna had laid the foundation stone for the satellite town during his last days in office.

Surya City is to come up near Iglur-Banahalli on Hosur Road, around 14 km from Koramangala.

Building houses

The plans provides for a mix of individual houses, plots on which owners can build houses to their own specifications, and a number of apartment complexes. According to officials of the board, there will be 1,956 plots of different dimensions and 2,004 housing units that will include 521 individual houses.

The idea is to provide affordable housing for the middle to upper middle income groups.

The proximity to the information technology corridor will be an added attraction, planners feel.

The satellite town will have extensive rainwater harvesting facilities to prevent flooding and meet the water requirements of the satellite town. In addition, a separate water recycling plant is to be built, perhaps the first for a satellite town.

The recycled water will be used for all non-drinking purposes including maintenance of public parks.

The Karnataka Housing Board's plans also provide for rejuvenation of a number of small lakes and tanks scattered around Surya City.

Interlinked, they will use excess rainwater and help recharge groundwater sources. In the initial stages at least, most residents may have rely on groundwater to augment their water supply and this is expected to serve as a model for similar townships in the future.

The satellite town will get its drinking water supply from the Cauvery, similar to the housing board's two other satellite towns — Kengeri and Yelahanka New Town.

Self-contained

Surya City has been planned in manner that it will be self-contained. Civic facilities include schools, a shopping mall, a hospital and clinics and a 10-acre public park.

With a relatively pollution-free and peaceful environment and easy driving distance to the southern suburbs of Bangalore, the housing board expects Surya City to be ideal for those employed in firms in and around Electronics City.