Blueprint for future: Kochi master plan gets government nod

KOCHI: The state govt has approved the master plan for Kochi. Corporation mayor M Anilkumar said the govt will issue a notification soon.
Once the notification is issued, the provisions of the master plan will come into force. All new building constructions and developments within the jurisdiction will need to comply with the specified provisions. With the new master plan coming into effect, the existing Structural Plan of 1991 will expire within the city limits, along with 19 of the 21 draft town planning schemes.
The last master plan for Kochi city was prepared in 1970, and although efforts were made to create a new plan during Dinesh Mani's tenure as mayor, they did not progress.
The draft master plan was notified after years of work by the master plan committee, including numerous meetings by the corporation council and consultations with various organizations and representatives.
Mayor Anilkumar mentioned said there have been demands to extend the master plan to the greater Cochin area rather than limiting it to Kochi city. However, he stated that according to the municipal act, the corporation council can only prepare a master plan for its jurisdiction.
Municipalities like Kalamassery, Thrikkakara, Maradu, and Tripunithura can prepare master plans for their respective areas. These individual plans can later be consolidated into a single comprehensive plan by the state's town planning department.
The mayor expressed gratitude to the town planning officials who led the preparation of the master plan. The new master plan envisions the development of the city over the next 25 years.