Chennai Third Master Plan Delayed By Six Months For Inter-Departmental Reviews

The finalization of the Third Master Plan (2026-47) for the Chennai Metropolitan Area has been delayed by at least six months due to ongoing inter-departmental consultations and statutory procedures. The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is currently coordinating with various state government departments to validate data and refine the initial draft before it can be submitted to the Tamil Nadu state government for clearance.

Initially, the draft of the Third Master Plan (TMP) was slated for release in January 2026. To facilitate physical infrastructure development, the CMDA had previously floated tenders to formulate a comprehensive and integrated sub-plan for the existing unexpanded Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA).

According to a senior CMDA official, weekly stakeholder consultations are currently underway. Officials from key departments, including the Greater Chennai Corporation, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), and the Forest, Environment, Housing, Water Resources, and Revenue Departments, are regularly meeting to suggest corrections to the draft.

Once the inter-departmental review is complete, the draft plan will be submitted to the state government. Following government clearance, the draft will be placed in the public domain for a mandatory two-month consultation period. During this time, the CMDA will host public stakeholder meetings to gather feedback, objections, and suggestions from residents' welfare associations, industry bodies, and public interest organizations.

The finalized proposal will then be sent back to the state government for final approval before being notified in the official gazette.

The upcoming master plan will feature a dedicated chapter on environmental conservation, covering blue-green infrastructure, lakes, urban parks, and open spaces. Existing reserved forests and open space reservation (OSR) lands will remain protected under the new plan, while the CMDA is also examining proposals to add green spaces within the expanded metropolitan area.

Regarding the expansion, the state government has already issued a Government Order increasing the CMA planning area from 1,189 square kilometers to 5,904 square kilometers across five districts. However, the CMDA official noted that planning permissions in the newly added areas will continue to be managed by the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) until necessary rule amendments are made by the government.