Nagpur Metro Region draft plan: Govt panel to conduct hearings on 6,000 responses


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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