CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has proposed several strategies for climate-resilient planning, including waterbody protection, GIS monitoring, enhanced social infrastructure, and urban planning aligned with future water and sewerage networks. This comes as the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) begins stakeholder discussions for its upcoming master plan for the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA). Stakeholders include GCC, Metrowater, police, and other agencies.
“Draft proposals have been shared with various departments for validating data accuracy, evaluating future infrastructure needs, and providing feedback before finalizing the plan. These consultations aim to create a comprehensive blueprint for Chennai’s development until 2046,” stated a CMDA official.
During discussions, GCC stressed the importance of embedding climate resilience into the planning framework. They advocated for the preservation of rivers, canals, lakes, wetlands, and floodplains, alongside nature-based solutions such as urban forests, green corridors, rainwater harvesting, permeable pavements, green roofs, and sustainable drainage systems to tackle flooding, enhance groundwater recharge, and counter urban heat effects.
The civic body further proposed to strengthen the blue-green network by expanding parks, playgrounds, waterfronts, urban forests, and accessible open spaces to boost biodiversity and public well-being. For effective governance, GCC suggested implementing GIS-based planning, utilizing satellite imagery, drone surveys, and AI to monitor land-use changes, illegal constructions, and civic infrastructure. They also recommended linking planning permissions with property tax, building approvals, and enforcement databases to enhance transparency and compliance.
“We recommended establishing planning standards for adequate schools, health facilities, fire stations, community centers, disaster shelters, and public restrooms in line with projected population growth. Land reservations for decentralized waste processing, material recovery, composting units, and recycling systems were also advised. Moreover, enforcing on-site waste management for larger developments to promote a circular economy is essential,” mentioned a GCC official.
Metrowater officials engaged in discussions about whether to maintain higher densities in the congested city core or promote vertical growth and higher floor space indices (FSI) in expanding areas like Chengalpet, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Tiruporur, OMR, and parts of Ranipet.
A senior CMDA official confirmed that valid suggestions would be incorporated into the master plan, which is expected to be presented to the government. The proposed plan will likely be unveiled by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay in approximately three months.
