Staff Reporter
Nagpur
Improvement Trust (NIT) has received 6,000 responses on the draft of
Nagpur Metropolitan Area Development Plan, and all the responses will
get opportunity of hearing before a panel to be constituted by the
Government.
Shyam Wardhane, NIT Chairman, said that the committee
will comprise of experts and officials. Nagpur Metropolitan Area
Development Plan’s draft has been released in public domain, and
suggestions or objections were invited on the same. “After hearing, and
after incorporation of valuable suggestions from the members of Nagpur
Metropolitan Area Planning Committee, the plan will be finalised,” said
Wardhane. He was addressing the members elected newly to Nagpur
Metropolitan Area Planning Committee (NMAPC).
NIT had organised an
orientation workshop for newly elected NMAPC members, on Friday at NIT’s
Naivedhyam Hall. Avnish Pendharkar of Halcrow, which leads a
consultancy consortium that has prepared the draft plan for development
of Nagpur Metropolitan Area, made a presentation on various aspects of
the plan. “The draft plan is a blueprint for future development in 20
years, and is based on a 50-year vision for development strategies,” he
said. S H Gujjelwar, Superintending Engineer of NIT, shared the dais
with Wardhane and Pendharkar, on this occasion.
During his
presentation, Pendharkar informed the new members of NMAPC about
challenges at present and various developments proposed in the draft
plan. As per the presentation, ‘haphazard’ conversion of land into
non-agriculture (NA) uses is posing a threat to large reserves of
fertile and irrigated agricultural land in Nagpur Metropolitan Area.
Further, the mobility of goods and people is affected ‘adversely’ due to
‘marginal’ public transport and ‘absence’ of intermediate public
transport. There are limited job opportunities available, resulting in
the region losing its best minds to other urban centres. Multiple
institutions with the functions of planning and municipal service,
adversely impacts provision of co-ordinated infrastructure across the
region’s various jurisdictions, stated a leaflet circulated during the
workshop.
Against the backdrop, several proposals have been included
in the draft development plan. Success of the plan will depend upon
effective implementation of the outlined proposals and it is essential
that mechanisms suitable for individual projects are identified, added
the circular. Pendharkar observed that mixed use development needed to
be encouraged in Nagpur Metropolitan Area for better results. At the
same time, agricultural land especially in Mouda tehsil needed to be
preserved for future generation’s food security needs. Forest areas
could yield better results if tourism development is given a boost.
Industrial growth will generate jobs. However, he said, budget
allocation for implementation of the plan may not match the pace of
improvement and this may affect infrastructure development.
Senior
corporators namely Narendra Borkar, Pragati Patil, Chetana Tank, Raju
Lokhande, Arun Daware, Prashant Dhawad, Deepak Kapse, Suresh Jagyasi,
Abhishek Shambharkar, and others attended the workshop.
Various aspects left out in draft
plan: NMAPC members
The
newly elected NMAPC members, who attended the workshop, raised various
questions about the draft plan and alleged that several aspects were
left out in the draft development plan. Shyam Wardhane, NIT Chairman,
had to intervene and assure that the plan would not be finalised without
incorporating their suggestions.
Narendra Borkar, former Chairman
of Standing Committee of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) questioned
how only a team of 12-15 of the consultants could prepare plan for
3,567.37 sq kms of area and spell out proposals requiring a whopping Rs
37,070 crore. He accused the consultancy firm of preparing the draft
plan without field visits, and dubbed it as ‘anti-poor’. Nothing has
been specified about compensation to be paid to owners of lands that
would be acquired for reservation, he said. Besides, there is no mention
of farm approach roads (Pandhan) or village boundaries, he alleged.
Suresh
Jagyasi, Arun Dawre, Prashant Dhawad, Deepak Kapse and others also
expressed their reservations and raised questions about various other
aspects. Most of them asked if the existing structures on land proposed
to be included in green zone would be demolished. Some objected to
proposing different use on a land under another use currently. They also
raised objections to proposal to declar buffer zones along water
sources including rivers Nag and Pili, and wished to know if that would
block development in these areas.
In response, Halcrow
representative Avnish Pendharkar said that buffer zones had been
proposed to ensure regulated and planned development. “It is a
misconception that no development will be allowed in buffers,” he said.
Regarding management of the reservations of lands, he suggested that
Town Planning schemes could be proposed. On the lands under industrial
use currently and proposed to be included in green zone in the draft
plan, he clarified that valid and legal structures would not be
demolished and get benefits of ‘Saving Clause’, but expansion would not
be allowed once zone change was effected.
Wardhane said that NMAPC
members were welcomed to share their vision for development of Nagpur
Metropolitan Area. “It is yet to be finalised. It has been prepared with
an intent to pave way for planned urbanisation. We are aware that there
are challenges like lack of amenities, water, schools, pollution of
water resources, inadequate treatment of sewage, management of garbage
etc. To deal with these all, the members should guide us with their
valuable inputs,” he said. Regarding farm approach roads and village
boundaries, he assured the members that NIT would sent its officials to
721 villages included in the draft plan and ensure proper interpolation
on map.
Members unhappy over NMAPC Secretary leaving workshop One
of the members, Arun Daware, expressed strong displeasure over
Secretary of Nagpur Metropolitan Area Planning Committee (NMAPC) leaving
the workshop mid-way for ‘some other important work’. “This shows how
much importance is being accorded to this important workshop as well as
the members of the committee,” he said.
(03-07-15)
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