No Objection Certificates from some deptts still awaited
*Urgency imperative in view of rapid urbanization
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 17: Initiated in the month of October last year, an exercise to revise the Jammu Master Plan-2032 has yet not been completed despite the fact that there is a dire need to accomplish this task promptly in view of rapid pace of urbanization and development of economic activities.
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As per the provisions of Rule 6(ii) of the J&K Development Authority Rules, 1976, draft of the Revised Jammu Master Plan-2032 was prepared and put in the public domain on October 14, 2024 and December 14, 2024 was fixed as last date for inviting objections and suggestions.
“However, even four months after the last date for submission of objections and suggestions the exercise has not reached the logical conclusion for want of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from few Government departments”, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “had the matter been vigorously pursued with the concerned departments by the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) the revised Jammu Master Plan-2032 could have been finalized till now”.
Expressing inability to specify any time-frame for completion of vital exercise, sources said, “on the receipt of No Objection Certificates from the concerned departments necessary modifications will have to be incorporated in the draft and thereafter the same will be placed before the Board of Directors of Jammu Development Authority for discussion and approval”.
They, however, admitted that there was dire need of swiftness in the completion of exercise so as to develop spatial decision framework, which can support urban and economic growth with adequate infrastructure development in conformity with existing natural resources, land utilization and ecological aspects.
“With the rapid pace of urbanization and development of economic activities in Jammu, the city’s influence has been increasing in range and impact. Moreover, growth of Jammu Urban Agglomeration has been very fast which can be adjudged from the trend of decadal change in the urban population in its adjoining tehsils”, they further said.
Sources disclosed that many villages in Jammu and Samba districts have already been engulfed by the sprawl of Jammu city and in view of the large horizon period up to year 2032, the projected population growth cannot be limited to the existing boundaries hence limits are required to be increased to contiguous areas of Jammu and Samba districts.
As per the official document, the revised Jammu Master Plan is proposed to be extended from 305 square kilometers to 777.84 square kilometers which includes the whole Municipal Corporation of Jammu, Municipal Committees of Ghou-Manhasan, Bishnah, Bari Brahmana and Vijaypur besides many revenue villages. Further, total revenue villages proposed to be included in the revision of Jammu Master Plan-2032 are 351-262 from Jammu district and remaining 89 from Samba district.
Pointing towards 351 villages, the document said that these settlements having rural character are expected to grow urban over next two to three decades and from planning perspective, it is imperative to consider these settlements as part of Jammu Local Planning Area-2032 and as such shall be provided with urban amenities and facilities for the benefit of local population.
“The Revised Master Plan proposes comprehensive provision of amenities, facilities, services and utilities to improve quality of life and blend these settlements with the proposed urban development of Jammu”, the document said, adding “education, health, recreational, sanitation, water supply and improved transportation networks as well as work centers need to be developed in these villages so that they could keep pace with the urban areas”.
“These settlements are proposed to be developed as self-sustaining entities with efficient linkages with the mother city. However, these villages shall continue to be governed by the Rural Development Department for the benefit of rural development schemes”, the document said, adding “agricultural lands around these villages will be given usages of residential, commercial and PSP and their development will be done by land pooling”.
The proposed land use under commercial category is around 44.52 square kilometers which is about 5.72% of the proposed area, the document said, adding the proposed land use under industrial category is around 14.38 square kilometers which is about 1.84% of the net proposed area.
The Master Plan further envisages industrial sector as a focus area for investment and diversification of economic base of the city. Accordingly, the Master Plan proposes to rejig the existing industrial estates and create Special Investment Zones or Special Economic Zones. It envisages new industrial areas in Badwal near Vijaypur in Planning Zone Vijaypur and Sarore in Planning Zone Bishnah.
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