Chennai:Chennai city, which has expanded beyond Tambaram, is all set for further expansion with the setting up of a satellite town in Chengalpet. However, the project, which is in the drafting and master-planning stages, faces delay due to the problems in land availability and land-pooling disputes. The expansion of the Chennai Metropolitan Area in the south will depend on the speed at which the Chengalpet satellite town’s master plan is prepared.
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) commissioned the project in 2025 with the objective of completing it in 20 years with World Bank assistance. The development of the plan will decongest the areas on both sides of the road from Tambaram to Chengalpet as it will provide houses to the people looking to buy land and build houses at affordable prices.
The growth in population has resulted in rising needs for sanitation, drinking water and proper solid waste management in the southern suburbs. But, since they are managed by separate village panchayats which do not have the financial resources to develop the villages, the development of satellite towns with facilities are planned.
Already industrialised areas like Maraimalai Nagar industrial town, Mahindra City, Kalpakkam atomic power plant premises, Siruseri industrial park and Tambaram export industries zone are present in Chengalpet district. As the residential settlements are growing, there is a need to regulate the development since unplanned development leads to congestion, pollution and encroachment of water bodies.
The Chengalpet satellite town covers 181 sq km across 60 villages in Chengalpet, Thirukazhukundram and Thiruporur taluks. The consultants appointed by the CMDA are preparing the GIS-based land-use maps, infrastructure networks and environmental assessment. The zoning rules and specific land use allocations are not finalised till now.
The Chengalpet bus terminus, almost complete, is yet to be opened and it will provide connectivity to the town from all parts of the district, other parts of the state, besides Bengaluru and parts of Andhra Pradesh. A 2,000-acre Tidco global city is also coming up at Madurantakam to boost development along the Chennai-Tiruchy highway road corridor.
One of the major advantages is the river Palar which flows on one side of the proposed satellite town and this could supply water to the people who build houses in the town. Some parts of Chennai, especially in the north, lack infrastructure facilities and the government is struggling to protect them from floods during the rains. The problems faced by north Chennai is attributed to lack of planning in constructing the cities and a planned satellite town with all the required facilities is likely to bring development to Chengalpet rapidly and result in the expansion of the city.
People want the authorities to complete the drafting of the master plan as early as possible so that the construction of the Chengalpet satellite town is taken up at the earliest and the southward expansion of Chennai is speeded up.
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