Let residential areas remain, say experts

Let residential areas remain, say experts
The Times of India

Bangalore: The expert committee, which reviewed the master plan draft for Bangalore, has suggested that no alternative change of land use should be permitted in any area which is classified as mainly residential. This follows concern over the haphazard commercial development in residential areas and along traffic zones.

While the master plan proposed mixed residential zones, the committee said that a mainly residential area is necessary to retain its residential character. M o re ove r largescale commercial development along main traffic corridors should be avoided.

The master plan prepared by BDA for 2005 to 2015, has recommended some radical changes in terms of land use. It proposed newer zones such as a transformation zone and mixed zone.

It also suggested that for residential areas like Koramangala, Indiranagar, Rajajinagar, Malleswaram, Gandhi Bazar, Shankarpuram, Basavanagudi, Vasantnagar, Benson Town, Shanthinagar, Visveshwarapuram, Jayanagar, and Richmond Town, transformation zone should be limited to identified stretches on a small number of specified roads.

“Zoning of transformation zones should not lead to automatic regularisation violations. The declaration of Transformation Zones and Commercial Axis should be made only after the violations have been identified and action initiated for penalisation as per existing law,” said the committee members.

Further, the master plan has ignored entirely, the importance of accessibility to the new airport. The airport may require rail c o n n e c t i o n which also needs to be pursued by either the BMRTL or railways.
An immediate measure should be to connect Tumkur Road from the BMICP Road to Devanahalli via the 20 km stretch of the proposed peripheral ring road as the first priority.

SUGGESTIONS
l Government needs to articulate a policy with regard to land under the revenue department. There should be a policy of making public lands available for priority housing for the weaker sections.

l Deal with lands in the protected zone including tanks, forests, lakes in a different way. Valley zones indicated in the plan should be declared protected areas.

l The proposed network of 164 km of new roads to be formed or widened should be clearly shown in the proposed land use maps.