Accelerating progress in Uttar Pradesh, the state government has announced to execute revamped plans to transform 14 major cities, including Lucknow, into centres of unhindered development. This latest intervention has been proposed to accommodate the amplifying needs of urban residential spaces. As a part of this, new comprehensive projects will be rolled out for Lucknow and other districts and the existing scheme shall be altered into an upgraded master plan.
State to ensure better maintenance of sanctuaries, reserve forests & more
The current proposals indicate that amendments will be targeted at addressing the requirements of increased modern habitation complexes besides rehabilitating old campuses. With the enlarging population and swelling count of vehicles, basic facilities in the cities need to be remodeled which has prompted this project. Other cities included in this enterprising program include Kanpur, Chitrakoot, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Jhansi, Agra, Mathura, Bareilly, Meerut, Saharanpur, Moradabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida).
In the re-designed map of implementations, the state has converged its focus on the beautification and preservation of historical and religious sites and the inclusion of ponds, reservoirs, lakes in the ecosystem. Additionally, the government will also execute projects for better maintenance of wildlife sanctuaries, reserve forests, environment, forests and other protected areas.
As per a government representative, the Chief Minister has envisioned that the conservation projects would lead to a boost in tourism and employment besides enhancing the appeal of heritage sites and structures.
Local development prospects to be incorporated in the new master plan
As per sources, officers in the Housing Department will re-evaluate the prospects of land usage in the earmarked cities and work on the new plan in alignment with the current requirements. The present structures established against land use in the cities will be adapted according to the guidelines in the master plan.
Further, the authorities are also trying to rope in a consultant who can aid in chalking out the new framework. It has been said that a committee chaired by the Secretary of the Housing Department will work on the incorporation of the changes brought in the master plan.
Based on the GIS (Geographic Information System), the new master plan shall encapsulate all the major structures including rivers, airports, bus stands and military areas amongst other things. According to the provisions suggested for the new plan, the firing fields of the army in these cities will be marked as ‘sensitive’ areas. Additionally, the authorities have been instructed to assimilate local-level development projects in the refurbished plan so that the cities do not have to face any obstacles.
