CMDA Scraps Proposed Satellite Township Project in Kancheepuram

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has scrapped the proposed development of a new satellite township at Kancheepuram, following an order issued by the State government.

Through a government order issued by R. Kirlosh Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, the State government rescinded the notification for the preparation of the 'New Town Development Plan for Kancheepuram New Town' and the 'Detailed Development and Heritage Revitalisation Plan', which had initially been notified in the government gazette on February 22, 2023.

A senior CMDA official confirmed the decision, explaining that the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) had already prepared a comprehensive Master Plan for the Kancheepuram local planning area covering 155.25 square kilometres. That plan was drafted through the School of Architecture and Planning at Anna University under the AMRUT scheme and submitted for the consent of the Member Secretary of the CMDA.

Because the DTCP Master Plan is already at an advanced stage, the government finalised the decision to drop the CMDA's separate proposal for the New Town Development Plan and the Detailed Development and Heritage Revitalization Plan for Kancheepuram Town 2025-2045.

The decision has drawn criticism from local representatives and residents. C.V.M.P. Ezhilarasan, former MLA of the Kancheepuram assembly constituency, noted that the municipality had been upgraded into a corporation during the previous DMK regime and argued that the new township was necessary to guide the area's growth with proper planning.

J. Ranganathan, a long-time resident of Kancheepuram, said the town faces severe traffic congestion and encroachments around its historic temples and silk saree commercial hubs. He noted that arterial roads lack widening and effective traffic management, expressing concern that abandoning the township initiative harms efforts to showcase Kancheepuram as a major tourist destination near Chennai.

The cancellation has also raised questions regarding the status of other satellite townships planned by the CMDA. The authority had proposed developing six satellite new towns using the land pooling model across Chengalpattu, Mamallapuram, Minjur, Tiruvallur, and Thirumazhisai, and had engaged consultants to draft development reports for several of those locations.