Master Plan for Kozhikode Urban Area – 2035 FOREWORD I
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Master Plan for Kozhikode Urban Area – 2035 FOREWORD i FOREWORD Kozhikode is an early bird among the cities of Kerala, which took a proactive approach towards planned urban development, as early as in the late fifties, andprepared a Master Plan. Thereafter many statutory and non-statutory efforts towards city planning followed, and the urban area has now prepared the Masterplan for the period from 2015 to 2035. Population results of Census 2011 reveals the increasing share of the districts of north and middle Kerala in the State’s population, foretelling the greater prominence the region would enjoy in the State’s future. Kozhikode, being the prime urban centre of North Kerala from ancient times, therefore, has to remain equipped to benefit from this, as well as to fruitfully perform its role in the economic and social development of the region and the State. For this, land being the most scarce and expensive resource, Kozhikode Urban Area has to formulate and implement specific scientific measures in land use planning, with a long term vision and comprehensive regional outlook, first off. Besides, provision of urban services, management of ecologically sensitive areas, disaster resilience, resource mobilization etc. are to be efficiently planned to ensure the optimal use of the limited funds at the LSGIs’ disposal. The Masterplan for Kozhikode Urban Area, 2035 is an effort towards these. I sincerely appreciate the efforts of the Town & Country Planning Department under the noteworthyguidance of Sri.EapenVarughese, Smt.T.M.Sudha, Chief Town Planners (Rtd), Sri. K Ramanan, Chief Town Planner, Sri. Shaji Joseph, Chief Town Planner (Planning), Smt.Darley D.S. Mony, Additional Chief Town Planners (Rtd), Sri. C.J. Poulose, Senior Town Planners (Rtd), Sri.G.Sasikumar, Town Planner (Rtd) and Sri.K.V.Abdul Malik, Town Planner, Kozhikode, who came forward to take charge of this mammoth task and put in laudableworkfor the preparation of a comprehensive Masterplanfor Kozhikode Urban Area, with thorough participation of the people and all the stakeholders. I am immensely grateful for the interest and involvement of the people’s representatives from the region in the Parliament and Legislative Assembly, Sri. M.P. Raghavan, M.P, Dr. M.K. Muneer, M.L.A, Sri.Pradeep Kumar M.L.A and Sri. Elamaram Kareem Ex.M.L.A, Sri.K.V.Mohan Kumar, Smt.C.A.Latha and Sri.N.Prasanth, District Collectors, Honorable Ex.Mayors, Scientists, Researchers, Experts and Social Activists from the region for their valuable comments. The sincere efforts of Smt.A.K Premajam, Ex.Mayor, in materializing and publishing the masterplan need special mention. I am obliged to the members of the Joint Planning Committee, Working Groups, Council/Panchayat Members of Kozhikode Corporation and Municipalities Feroke and Ramanattukara, Gramapanchayats of Olavanna, and Kadalundi for their commendable cooperation and effort for the preparation of this Masterplan. With great pleasure and faith, I present the Masterplan for Kozhikode Urban Area 2015 -2035, herewith. I actively exhort to implement this Masterplan in its full spirit, which Town and Country Planning Department, Government of Kerala Master Plan for Kozhikode Urban Area – 2035 FOREWORD ii would certainly help Kozhikode to ascertain its vitality in the region and the State, in the years to come. I also use this opportunity to request the wholehearted cooperation of all the stakeholders, for the successful implementation of this plan. Thottathil Ravindran Chairperson, Joint Planning Committee Mayor, Kozhikode Corporation Kozhikode May 2017 Town and Country Planning Department, Government of Kerala Master Plan for Kozhikode Urban Area – 2035 PREFACE iii PREFACE As per the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts and the Kerala Municipalities Act, 1994 the Local Governments have the most important role in the development of their jurisdictional area and hence the ‘owner’ of a Masterplan ought to be the local government. However, since the Masterplan was to be prepared in accordance with the Town Planning acts prevailing in the State, Government of Kerala entrusted the Department of Town and Country Planning to anchor and provide technical support for the preparation of the Masterplan and ordered preparation/revision of development plans for 32 urban areas in the state including Kozhikode, vide G.O.(Rt).No. 3982/2008 dated 13.11.2008. Accordingly, the steps for the revision of the Masterplan for Kozhikode urban area started in 2008. Kozhikode city and the adjoining urban areas were subjects of quite a few planning efforts. The plan in operation, the Development Plan for Calicut Urban Area (1981-2001), enforced in 1994, reached its horizon period in 2001.Considering the rapid urbanization, fringe area development and changes in building typology, a variation of the Development Plan with modified Zoning Regulations was sanctioned by the Government in June, 2007, which is still in force. The spatial and economic character of the city has changed significantly from that envisaged in the above plan. The District Urbanisation Report prepared by the Department revealed that some of the LSGIs in the periphery of the Corporation has Secondary or Tertiary activity pattern, and functions essentially as a single conglomerate with the Corporation. Hence, these LSGIs namely Kadalundi, Feroke, Ramanattukara and Olavannawere included in the Planning Area for the Masterplan, along with Kozhikode Corporation. As all the constituent local governments in the planning area are jointly responsible for preparation of the Masterplan, a Joint Town Planning Committee was constituted, as provided in Section 38 of the Madras Town Planning Act, 1920, for coordinating and undertaking the planning activities for the planning area, vide G.O.(Rt) No. 3353/10/LSGD dated 28.10.10 and G.O.(MS) No. 13/2011/LSGDdated 14/01/2011. The jurisdiction of this Masterplan is one among the largest dealt by the Department until now and preparation of this plan was indeed a huge task. The invaluable support and cooperation of the JPC under the leadership of Honorable Mayor Smt.A.K.Premajam and Sri. Thottathil Raveendran deserves special mention. I take this opportunity to appreciate the officials of the Regional Town Planning Office, Kozhikode, under the remarkable leadership of Sri.C.J.Poulose, Sri.G.Sasikumar and Sri.K.V.Abdul Malik, Town Planners, Kozhikode as well as Sri. T. K. Girish Kumar and Smt.Isha P.A, Town Planners, for the sincere efforts put in for the preparation of this Masterplan. The State Project Cell played an anchor role in this plan Town and Country Planning Department, Government of Kerala Master Plan for Kozhikode Urban Area – 2035 PREFACE iv preparation, right from conceptualization to completion and I place on record my appreciation for Sri.JacobEasow, Sri.Devarajan K, Additional Chief Town Planners (Rtd.), Smt.Darley D.S. Mony, Additional Chief Town Planner (Rtd), Smt.Ushakumari P.R, Senior Town Planner, Smt.Asha Ajoy Ghosh and Sri.Baiju K, Town Planners and other officials of the State Project Cell, for their persistent efforts to keep the project on track. Definitely, the Masterplan for Kozhikode Urban Area will provide the necessary framework for the progress of this most prominent urban center of North Kerala. I optimistically look forward to effective implementation of this plan. I hope that this plan will soon be complemented with Detailed Town Planning Schemes for micro-level implementation. Shaji Joseph Chief Town Planner (Planning) Town & Country Planning Department Government of Kerala Thiruvananthapuram Town and Country Planning Department, Government of Kerala Master Plan for Kozhikode Urban Area – 2035 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Kozhikode, the City of Truth, felt the need for revision of the Masterplan for Kozhikode Urban Area as early as the existing plan reached its horizon in 2001 and prepared a few non-statutory plans to address the necessity. Subsequently, the statutory revision of the existing Masterplan was initiatedby the end of year 2008, as per directions of the State government. The Masterplan for Kozhikode Urban Area (2015-2035), thus prepared, covering a geographical area of 177.08 Sq.Kms, envisions developing Kozhikode as a vital city of the state. Through and through participation of the common public in all stages of itspreparation makes this Masterplan unique. Prominent personalities and public figures of the city, like social activists, historians, academicians, architects, urban designers, scientists, etc. were consulted in the process of preparation of this Masterplan. Many dynamic organisations of the citizens, engineers, developers, investors, etc. also actively pursued the Masterplan and gave their valuable opinions. The extensive publicity given by the press and other media and the discussions generated by them on their own platforms added significant value to this Plan. Many thanks are due to one and all of them. Thorough involvement of the elected representatives of the local governments, and members of the Joint Planning Committee and working groups, under the admirable leadership of Honourable Mayors Smt.A.K.Premajam and Sri Thottathil Raveendran is worth an applaud. The concerned line departments also cooperated wholeheartedly in all the activities of the plan preparationand during the one-to-one discussions conducted with them andreadily shared the data, whichis gratefully acknowledged. Dr.A.Achyuthan, Prof.Vinod Kumar and Dr.M.V.L.R. Anjaneyulu, the resource persons of JPC, deserve special thanks. The exemplary leadership and constant encouragement of Sri.EapenVarughese, Smt.T.M.Sudha, Chief TownPlanners (Rtd), Sri. K Ramanan, Chief Town Planner, Sri. Shaji Joseph, Chief Town Planner (Planning), Smt.Darley D.S. Mony, Sri.JacobEasow and Sri.K.Devaragan, Additional Chief Town Planners (Rtd.) has been motivating. Smt.Ushakumari P.R, Senior Town Planner, Smt.Asha Ajoy Ghosh, Sri.Baiju K, Town Planners, offered constant guidance and unfailing support throughout the project, for which we are indebted. The efforts put in by Sri.Densil Fernandez and Smt. Oormila Raj, Deputy Town Planners are gratefully acknowledged.