Chennai metropolitan area

The Greater Chennai Metropolitan Area, or simply the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA), is the third-most populous metropolitan area in India, the 22nd-most in Asia, and the 40th-most in the world. The CMA consists of the core city of Chennai, which is coterminous with the Chennai district, and its suburbs in Kanchipuram (except Uthiramerur taluk), Chengalpattu (except Madurantakam and Cheyyur taluks), Thiruvallur (except Pallipattu, RK Pet and parts of Tiruttani taluks), and Ranipet (parts of Arakkonam taluk) districts. The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is the nodal agency that handles town planning and development within the metro area.

Metropolitan area includes a city and its suburbs. For the city, visit Chennai.

Greater Chennai
Chennai Metropolitan Area
Metropolitan Area
South Chennai Aerial View
South Chennai Aerial View
Nickname: 
Detroit of Asia / SaaS Capital of India / Health Capital of India / Gateway of South India
Country India
StateTamil Nadu
Core cityChennai
Districts
Area
[1]
 • Metropolitan Area5,904 km2 (2,280 sq mi)
 • Urban
426 km2 (164 sq mi)
Population
 (2018)[2](urban)
 • Metropolitan Area15,900,000 (approx.)
 • Density11,422/km2 (29,580/sq mi)
 • Urban
12,395,000
Demonym(s)Chennaivasi, Chennaiite
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (Indian Standard Time)
Websitewww.cmdachennai.gov.in
The CMDA masterplan for the erstwhile unexpanded metropolitan area

In 1974, an area encompassing 1,189 km2 (459 sq mi) around the city was designated as the CMA and the CMDA was designated as the authority to plan the growth of the city and the area around it. Subsequently in October 2022 the area of CMA was expanded five-fold to 5,904 km2 (2,280 sq mi).

Economy
Main article: Economy of Chennai

Recent estimates of the economy of the Chennai metropolitan area (which includes the industrial zones) is over US$200 billion (PPP GDP), making it the third most productive metro area of India, and the third highest by GDP per capita. Previously, the metropolitan area didn't include the nearby industrial zones of Siruseri, Oragadam, and Sriperumbudur, due to which the economy of these regions didn't get included in the economy of Chennai. Now, post expansion of the Chennai metropolitan area in 2022, these regions are included, and the GDP of Chennai which was previously around US$86 billion has increased drastically to over US$130 billion.

Composition

The CMA is a metropolitan area in Tamil Nadu state, consisting of the state capital Chennai (previously known as Madras) and its satellite towns. Developed over a period of about 20 years, it consists of 4 municipal corporations, 12 municipalities and 14 smaller town councils. The entire area is overseen by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), a Tamil Nadu State Government organisation in charge of town planning, development, transportation and housing in the region. The CMDA was formed to address the challenges in planning and development of integrated infrastructure for the metropolitan region. The areas outside Greater Chennai Corporation (Chennai District) like Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur have lacked organised development.

The CMA comprises the city of Chennai and its neighbourhood corporations of Avadi,Kanchipuram and Tambaram, 12 municipalities, 11 town panchayats and 179 village panchayats in 10 panchayat unions. The CMA has an area of 5,904  km2.

The CMA falls in 5 Districts of the Tamil Nadu State viz. Chennai District, part of Thiruvallur District,part of Ranipet district,part of Chengalpattu District and part of Kancheepuram District. The extent of the Chennai District (covered in Chennai Municipal Corporation area) is 426 km2.

CMA region has about 3,000 water bodies, most of which have been encroached upon by real estate dealers and small communities.[3]

Nodal agencies
SnAgencyResponsibility
1 Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA)Dedicated authority for Urban planning, coordination of project implementation in the CMA
2 Greater Chennai Corporation (Madras Corporation), Avadi Corporation, Tambaram Corporation, Kanchipuram Corporation, Municipalities and PanchayatsCivic management in their area of jurisdiction
3 Chennai MetroWater Supply and Sewage BoardDedicated board for Water Supply & Sewerage facilities in the CMA
4 Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA)Dedicated unified authority working with various departments for improving transport and transport infrastructure to ensure safe and sustainable urban mobility in the CMA
5 Highways DepartmentImplementation and maintenance of highways and other major roads
6 Tamil Nadu Road Infrastructure Development Corporation (TNRIDC)Implementation and maintenance of highways and other major roads
7 Tamil Nadu Road Development Company Limited (TNRDC)Implementation and maintenance of highways and other major roads
8 Chennai-Ennore Port Road Company Ltd (CEPRCL)Maintenance of road connecting ports with other parts of city ensuring smooth movement of trucks
9 Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC)Bus Transport in and around CMA
10 Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL)Metro rail transport in the CMA
11 Southern Railway (SR)Chennai suburban railway and Chennai MRTS
12 Regional Transport departmentProviding various transport services such as registration of vehicles, fitness and compliance of vehicles, collection of road taxes, issuing driving licence, etc.
13 Commissionerate of Road SafetyResponsible for road safety
14 Chennai Smart City Limited (CSCL)An initiative for transforming Chennai Corporation that provide core infrastructure and to rejuvenate the infrastructure
15 Chennai City Traffic Police, Avadi Traffic Police, Tambaram Traffic Police, and district traffic police of Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu & Ranipet districtsTraffic Management Schemes
16 Chennai City Police, Avadi Police, Tambaram Police, and district police of Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu & Ranipet districtsCrime, Cybercrime and Law & Order management
17 Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB)Electricity generation and supply
18 Revenue Department Revenue Administration such as districts, taluks, revenue blocks and revenue villages
19 Public Works DepartmentImplementation & Maintenance of macro drainage system
20 Registration Department Registration of land, Stamp Duty, etc
21 Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) Provision of plots and ready-built houses, Sites and Services schemes
22 Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUDB)Provision of housing, infrastructure and livelihood programs in slum areas
23 Aavin Co-operative societyProviding Milk through co-operative society to the people of Chennai

Municipal corporations

CMA Central
  1. Greater Chennai Corporation
  2. Tambaram Corporation
  3. Avadi Municipal Corporation

CMA South
  1. Kanchipuram Municipal Corporation

Municipalities
  1. Arakkonam
  2. Mangadu
  3. Kundrathur
  4. Poonamallee
  5. Thiruverkadu
  6. Thiruninravur
  7. Tiruvallur
  8. Tiruttani
  9. Maraimalai Nagar
  10. Chengalpattu
  11. Ponneri
  12. Guduvancheri

Districts
  1. Chennai (Complete)
  2. Chengalpattu (Except Madurantakam and Cheyyur taluks)
  3. Kanchipuram (Except Uthiramerur taluk)
  4. Tiruvallur (Except Pallipattu, RK Pet & parts of Tiruttani taluks)
  5. Ranipet (parts of Arakkonam taluk)

Taluks

The CMDA has proposed to trifurcate the CMA into Central, North and South.[4]

CMA Central

The former jurisdiction of CMA covering 1,189 sq km would be the jurisdiction the CMA Central (which spreads over the below areas):

In Chennai district

  1. Alandur
  2. Ambattur
  3. Aminjikarai
  4. Ayanavaram
  5. Egmore
  6. Guindy
  7. Madhavaram
  8. Maduravoyal
  9. Mambalam
  10. Mylapore
  11. Perambur
  12. Purasawalkam
  13. Sholinganallur
  14. Thiruvottiyur
  15. Tondiarpet
  16. Velachery

In Chengalpattu district

  1. Pallavaram
  2. Tambaram
  3. Vandalur (partial)

In Kanchipuram district

  1. Kundrathur (partial)

In Tiruvallur district

  1. Avadi
  2. Poonamallee (partial)
  3. Ponneri (partial)

CMA North

The proposed CMA North will cover an area of 2,908 sq km which spread over the below areas:

In Tiruvallur district

  1. Gummidipoondi
  2. Poonamallee (partial)
  3. Ponneri (partial)
  4. Tiruvallur
  5. Tiruttani (partial)
  6. Uthukottai

In Kanchipuram district

  1. Sriperumbudur

In Ranipet district

  1. Arakkonam (partial)

CMA South

The proposed CMA South will cover an area of 1,809 sq km which spread over the below areas:

In Chengalpattu district

  1. Chengalpattu
  2. Tirukalukundram
  3. Thiruporur
  4. Vandalur (partial)

In Kanchipuram district

  1. Kundrathur (partial)
  2. Kanchipuram
  3. Walajabad

Expansion
Proposed expansion of the CMA (with old district borders)

The CMDA regulates developments in the Chennai metropolitan area through the issuance of planning permission under section 49 of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act 1971.[5][6]

The first plans to expand the CMA were proposed by the CMDA in 2011. The need for expansion arose as several nearby settlements such as Sriperumbudur, Kelambakkam, Tiruvallur and Maraimalai Nagar had been undergoing rapid development and had to be incorporated under the CMDA planning strategy. Also, the planning bodies of other metropolises in India such as Bengaluru, New Delhi and Hyderabad had already redefined their respective metropolitan regions to include much larger areas and corresponding regional planning was being done. The CMA, however, has not been altered since it was first defined in 1974. The area was limited to 1,189 km2 (459 sq mi) which is among the smallest in the country.[7]

In July 2012, the CMDA suggested two options to the Government of Tamil Nadu for expanding the area:

  • The first option included the whole of the Chennai district, Madhavaram, Ambattur, Poonamallee, Ponneri, Gummidipoondi, Uthukottai, and Thiruvallur taluks of the Tiruvallur district, and Alandur, Pallavaram, Tambaram, Sholinganallur, Chengalpattu, Thiruporur, and Sriperumbudur taluks of the Kancheepuram district extending up to 4,459 km2 (1,722 sq mi).
  • The second option included the whole of Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts and the Arakkonam taluk of Ranipet district and extends to a total of 8,878 km2 (3,428 sq mi).

Chief planners of the CMDA had suggested that the second option is more feasible.[8] Another planning model, similar to the National Capital Region, was also examined by the CMDA. In order to plan for balanced regional development, developing a larger road network, implementing an integrated transport plan and identifying a Chennai Mega Region had become necessary.[9]

On 3 July 2017, the Government of Tamil Nadu's minister for housing and urban development, Udumalai K. Radhakrishnan announced its intention to expand the CMA to 8,878 km2 (3,428 sq mi). The extension will cover all of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts and Arakkonam taluk of Ranipet district, as proposed in July 2012. Having completed a feasibility study, a "strategic regional plan" was now required, and completion of the whole process was expected by July 2018.[10][11]

On 22 January 2018 the Government of Tamil Nadu issued order G.O. (Ms) No.13 to "declare the intention to include additional areas in the Chennai Metropolitan Planning Area" under section 2, clause (23-a) of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971 (Tamil Nadu Act 35 of 1972). The additional areas to be included were as proposed by the CMDA in 2017.[12][13][14] Under Tamil Nadu Act 35 the Tamil Nadu government is required to allow reasonable opportunity (two months according to §10.3) for inhabitants, local authorities and institutions in the area to comment upon or object to such an expansion proposals.[15] Although less than 100 objections to the expansion plans were received, a public interest litigation action was launched at the Madras High Court in March 2018.[16]

In October 2022 the area of CMA was expanded five-fold to 5,904 km2 (2,280 sq mi) making it 4th largest Metropolitan city.[17]

Notes

    See also

    References
    1. "Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority". www.cmdachennai.gov.in. Government of Tamilnadu, India. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
    2. "World Urban Areas 13th Annual Edition" (PDF). Demographia. April 2017.
    3. Hemalatha, Karthikeyan (10 November 2012). "40 Chennai lakes to get a new lease of life". The Times of India. Chennai. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
    4. "Chennai Metropolitan Area to be trifurcated, will cover 5,904 sqkm". 28 September 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
    5. "The Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971 (Tamil Nadu Act 35 of 1972)" (PDF). Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
    6. Aloysius Xavier Lopez (10 November 2012). "Challenging times for building panel". The Hindu. Chennai.
    7. "Final call on Greater Chennai by fiscal year-end". IBN Live. 26 August 2011.
    8. C Shivakumar (10 August 2012). "Cities / Chennai : Push to expand Chennai metropolitan area". New Indian Express.
    9. A. Srivathsan (28 October 2011). "Cities / Chennai : Delhi planning model proposed for city". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
    10. "Metropolitan Area set to expand". The Hindu. 4 July 2017 – via PressReader.
    11. Mariappan, Julie (4 July 2017). "5-year wait ends, Chennai finally set for seven-fold expansion". The Times of India. TNN.
    12. "Your word matters in Chennai's expansion". The New Indian Express. 6 February 2018.
    13. Dabrai, Rohit (31 January 2018). "Chennai Metropolitan Area". www.twenty22.in.
    14. Krishnan, S (22 January 2018). "G.O. (Ms) No.13" (PDF). Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
    15. "The Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971 (Tamil Nadu Act 35 of 1972)" (PDF). Government of Tamil Nadu. 1971.
    16. Kabirdoss, Yogesh (5 April 2018). "CMDA to seek public opinion on Chennai expansion, clear doubts". The Times of India.
    17. "Order issued for expansion of Chennai to 5,904 sq. Km; over 1,200 villages set to be added". The Hindu. 21 October 2022.

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