MUDA Presents Details of New Master Plan for Mangalore

MUDA Presents Details of New Master Plan for Mangalore

17 October 2009

B Madhava Bhandary, the chairman of Mangalore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) presented the details of a new master plan for Mangalore at a press conference on Thursday. 

Besides recommending the widening of 66 roads in Mangalore, the master plan recommends that all national highways should be made 45 meters wide. The plan also stresses the requirement for a ring road passing through Kotekar, Deralakatte, Belma, Adyaru, Neerumarga, Moodushedde, Marakada, Kenjaru, Thokuru, Bala, Idya, Surathkal, and the Mangala Corniche Road connecting Netravathi Bridge to Gurupur Bridge. It also seeks the laying of 4-truck terminals at Kannur, Bajpe, Hosabettu, and Panambur. 

The master plan also provides for regularization of illegal sites registered before the new plan, which became effective with a penalty from October 1. All buildings towering above 18 meters would be henceforth considered multi-storied buildings. Buildings measuring 75 square meters and above will have to provide a parking space of not less that 2.5 m x 5 m. 

The chairman also said that MUDA has designed separate by laws for group housing and integrating township schemes. Restrictions on the maximum area to be occupied by housing sites have been withdrawn. As per the new rules, 10 percent of the area must be set aside for parking and 5 percent for civic amenities. The new rules also permit staircases to be constructed in set back areas.  Other features of the new plan include a maximum of 3 percent of sites for commercial activities, compulsory obtaining of licenses to construct places of worship, and permitting basements on uneven surfaces. 

The MUDA authorities expressed helplessness about the large-scale violation of building rules in Mangalore, because of which motorists are forced to park their vehicles by the roads.