Chennai Metropolitan Area to be 8,878 Sq km from 1189 Sq Km

Chennai Metropolitan Area will be expanded to 8,878 square KMs by including areas from neighbouring districts.
The whole of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts besides Arakkonam taluk in Vellore would included in Chennai Metropolitan Area, Housing and Urban Development Minister K Radhakrishnan announced today in the Assembly.
The expansion will ensure equitable growth and integrated urbanisation, he said.
Making new announcements for his department, the Minister said the initiative was to streamline development in areas around Chennai that were witnessing rapid urbanisaiton.
Also, the measure would help decongestion in Chennai city, he added.
Announcing that a 'Strategic Regional Plan' will be prepared for the region, he said it will focus on aspects like transport, basic infrastructural amenities, guarding fertile farm lands and environment protection.

To fulfil the goals, necessary changes will be made to the adminsitrative set-up of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, he said.

According to Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority website, the present CMA area comprises 1189 Sq Km comprising Chennai district and parts of Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts.
The expansion plan was mootted way back in 2011.
The proposal was similar to what other cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad had done, expanding their respective regions to ensure proper development.