5 towns on road to development

5 towns on road to development
DH News Service Bangalore:
The Interim Master Plan for five towns – Anekal, Hoskote, Magadi, Nelamangala and Kanakapura – has earmarked 27 per cent of land for development and 73 per cent as Green Belt for the next 14 years.

The Interim Master Plan for five towns — Anekal, Hoskote, Magadi, Nelamangala and Kanakapura — has earmarked 27 per cent of land for development and 73 per cent as Green Belt for the next 14 years.

Speaking to reporters here, Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) Chairman Sudhir Krishna said the development would include residential housing, commercial activity, industrial, public utility, park and open space, and traffic and transport.

Of these, residential housing has taken the lion’s share with 34 per cent, followed by industrial with 30 per cent. “These are two reasons why there is intense pressure on land in these towns. Hence, we have allotted more space for them,” he said.



Big boost to industry

Industry has been given a big boost as 20,000 hectares of land (30 per cent) has been allocated. “Any master plan earmarks 8 to 10 per cent of land for industrial use. But considering the demand from industries, we have increased it three-fold.”

The government recently set up Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) for these towns and the master plan prepared by BMRDA would be implemented by the respective LPAs. All five towns put together have around 2,600 sq km area, with a population of eight lakh (as per the 2001 census). The zoning pattern (space allotted to each of these activities) in the interim plan will ensure a balanced growth up to 2021, when the population growth is estimated to reach 31 lakh in these towns.

To ensure there is breathing space and the green cover is protected, the interim plan has set aside 73 per cent of the total area as Green Belt. In other words, no development activity will be allowed in the Green Belt area.

Besides, all lakes and forest areas have been identified and included in Green Belt category. Mr Krishna, however, did not divulge how many lakes had been identified.

He said enough care had been taken to not include already approved layouts in the Green Belt category in the interim plan. “If there is any error in the plan, it will be set right,” he assured.

Mr Krishna said efforts have been made to strike a balance between allocation of space for development in the plan and the space available in each town. While Anekal (which is developing at a fast pace) has less space for development, towns like Nelamangala, Hoskote and Kanakapura have got more space. Development has been restricted in Magadi Town as it is ecologically sensitive, he said.