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CDP concerns and recommendations

By Syed Mohd Beary

B ANGALORE’s growth has reached alarming heights. The city is anxiously awaiting the new CDP which is crucial and hopefully will come to its rescue. While people are happy to note the positive changes, wherein considered views have been largely taken care of, we are concerned about the following critical issues which we believe will only precipitate matters and in the long run are bound to prove detrimental to development.

As a concerned citizen and a developer, I would like to draw attention to the following aspects in the new CDP, which I hope the authorities would help resolve:

* Classifications — Earlier classifications were straightforward and simple but nowadays, with too many classifications, things get very confusing and hence due care should be taken to avoid ambiguity of any sort, thereby ensuring absolute clarity.

* Mass transport system —This is the life-line of any growing city. Hence it would be expedient to clearly earmark the space reserved for the mass transport system in the master plan, right now

* Green belt — The green belt must be safeguarded and any encroachment of this must be strongly opposed at all costs. The green belt is Bangalore’s saving grace and must not be parted with. Ceding a large slice of the green belt in the Whitefield area is a disastrous move, particularly since chock-a-block developments have reached saturation there. However if required, ceding the Green belt may be considered only after the Old Madras Road.

* Roads — Widening of roads and timely repair should become a priority and should be taken up on a war footing wherever possible, especially in the CBD areas. For widening, owners should be given incentives such as higher and tradable FSI etc.

* Lakes — Lake rejuvenation projects for every lake must be the priority agenda.

* Car parks — It is better to have car parks that are an integral part of every project. For this builders should be asked to provide two basement car parking lots. Even for smaller plots, a basement car park will always help ease the congestion and hence this should not be done away with. The authorities should make sure that basements are used for car parking only. In addition to these, the authorities could provide additional parking facilities wherever needed as envisaged.

* Prescribed heights —While restriction of a building height to seven metres is fine for 60x40 sites, those above 4000 sqft should be allowed to construct higher, ensuring relief for the already saturated ground space.

* Steelyard areas — These should be located beyond peripheral ring roads or National Highway (NH) by-passes. As such the present yard on the Hoskote road is better off as a High-Tech Zone or for the development of a world class convention centre.

* Street lighting and trees - Trees should be planted on the periphery, on either sides of roads and street lighting must be in the centre. This would not only prevent any interference with the lighting but also help avoid periodical chopping of trees.

* Bullet-train initiative —- Even though it may not directly concern Bangalore, if the government so wishes, it could initiate a bullet-train service to Mysore (say an hour’s journey). This would provide the much needed relief to Bangalore and at the same time pave the way to great development in Mysore.

* Thrust for residential development in existing industrial zones — While the new CDP has provided ample scope for residential development within the new industrial estates, it is felt that in the already existing industrial zones viz Electronic city, ITPL, Peenya Industrial Estate etc. efforts to setup residential townships should be encouraged, so as to surmount the unnecessary traffic congestion experienced by daily commuters.

* Development around developments - Last but not the least the CDP must prescribe that with every new development there must come some much needed value additions to the locality i.e providing good roads, landscaping, pavements, lighting etc. Developers must, mandatorily, contribute to the development of the locality. Over time this would make Bangalore more beautiful.

At this eventful time of heralding a new CDP, as a token of our appreciation to the city, that has given us so much, we suggest that KOAPA, the body of developers, consider pooling-in the required funds, in addition to its own reserve of resources and donate the latest fire tenders to the Karnataka Fire Force.

Besides helping the department to augment their services, this will also help in the development of residential skyscrapers. (While import costs are at around Rs four crore, by availing a special exemption on customs duties we could manage with a sum of Rs two crore.)

Finally, let us begin the implementation of the new CDP with a massive tree planting drive all over Bangalore.

I hope the authorities would find the above suggestions helpful and constructive in our combined endeavour to make Bangalore a better place to live.