Satellite townships planned along Outer Ring Road.

The Chennai Metropolitan Area is set to get satellite townships along the 62-km stretch of Outer Ring Road (ORR) between Vandalur and Minjur.

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has started a survey of the lands along the ORR to acquire land.

“The area of each of the satellite township will be around 1,000 acres. Townships may be developed in areas as small as 100 acres also. Identification of land in the area remains a challenge. Acquisition may be more challenging,” said an official.

Major land acquisition for a satellite township was carried out four decades ago covering 1,914 acres of land at Maraimalai Nagar.

A few years ago, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority took possession of a 62-km strip of land in 56 villages in Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts for the Outer Ring Road project. “More lands are expected to be acquired for the development of satellite townships. In case of forest land, we are planning to develop new forests in alternative sites in the two districts,” said a CMDA official.

The government has already planned to develop Thirumazhisai Satellite Township on 311.05 acres of land owned by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board.

While the CMDA plans to use lands belonging to government departments for the new satellite townships, it is also looking at acquisition, officials said.

After the preparation of the land plan schedule, the Revenue Departments of Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram are likely to commence land acquisition.

According to sources, development of satellite townships along the Outer Ring Road is feasible as the government has already acquired a strip with a width of 122 metres for development of public transport facilities.

Of this, 72 metres had been handed over for the road development.

Another 20 metre-wide space in the middle has been earmarked for bus rapid transit system or an elevated road or a rail project to provide connectivity, said an official.

THE HINDU