Metro Region plan proposes 1km buffer zone on highways

• Buffer zone will badly hit realty sector
• NIT authority is clueless about the controversial provision

Nagpur:

This may disappoint all land developers and property owners who have purchased huge tracts of land on both sides of national highways anticipating future growth and demand to realty sector but the draft development plan report of nagpur metropolitan region development area has suggested to maintain 1 kilometre buffer zone along the national highway.
The central government has suggested 500 mts buffer zone on both sides of the highway for future growth of the road network and transportation.
The consultant has made the suggestion in the draft development plan report regarding buffer zone in order to manage and address issues pertaining to sprawl emanating from road transportation based development.
The total area under buffer along highway 301. 6 to square kilometre ,that account for 8.26 percent of the entire NMRDA.
As per report about 4.1 % of the developed area is under residential use, and industrial use takes up about 1.3 percent of the developed area that includes warehousing facilities. Most of the urban development is along NH-62 to the east and west of the city and along NH-7 to the south of the city. Development along NH-7 to the north of the city is minimal compared to the development observed on the south and east to the west corridor possibly due to the industrial development facilitating warehousing and other activities.
Many township projects are proposed and are coming up with the vicinity of national highways in outer ring road. If state government decides to ban any type of development along highways then it may create problems for the land developers and builders. In fact many developers as selling their plots describing its proximity to national highway.