Corpn to approve residential building plan: CMDA

CHENNAI: In a major relief to people planning to construct ordinary residential buildings in Chennai and its suburbs, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has delegated powers of issuing planning permissions to the Chennai Corporation and other local bodies in the region.
As per an order issued by CMDA member secretary Vikram Kapur on August 8, people constructing residential buildings with a single basement, stilt and two floors in primary residential, mixed residential and commercial zones in Chennai city can obtain planning permissions from the executive engineers of the 10 corporation zones.In the rest of the Chennai metropolitan area, such powers have been delegated to commissioners of municipalities and panchayat unions and executive officers of town panchayats. But it will be applicable only for buildings with up to four dwelling units. The order has come into effect with retrospective effect from July 29, 2008.
The CMDA will now forward 150 applications seeking planning permissions, which are pending with it, to the respective local bodies. On an average, the development authority used to receive 80 to 100 applications for ordinary residential buildings. So far, the local bodies were authorised to give plan approvals only for buildings with ground plus one floor. In case of buildings with stilt, the applicant had to approach the CMDA.
Chennai metropolitan area (CMA), where the new modifications will be in force, covers 1189 sq km --- 176 sq km in Chennai Corporation, 637 sq km in Ambattur, Tiruvallur, Ponneri and Poonamallee taluks in Tiruvallur district and 376 sq km in Tambaram, Sriperumbudur and Chengelpet taluks in Kancheepuram district. The CMA comprises Chennai Corporation, 16 municipalities, 20 town panchayats and 214 village panchayats.
However, grade III municipalities, Pammal and Valasaravakkam, Porur town panchayat and Nerkundram and Ramapuram village panchayats in Villivakkam panchayat union have been exempted from the August 8 order , meaning applicants there will have to continue to approach the CMDA. Special buildings (ground plus three floors or stilt plus four floors) and multi-storey buildings too would continue to be under the purview of the CMDA.
Similarly, if the proposed building comes under the coastal regulation zone, aquifer recharge area, catchment area of reservoirs, within 1.5 km of the proposed airport boundary, within 50 metres on either side of the proposed metro rail corridor or on the 14 designated arterial roads in the city including Anna Salai, Poonamallee High Road, Cathedral Road, Nungambakkam High Road, Kodambakkam High Road, Arcot Road, Waltax Road, Manali Road, Inner Ring Road and Beach Road, the applicant will have to approach the CMDA.