With the Tamil Nadu government and the United NationsDevelopment Programme (UNDP)signing the final document tobring Madras under the globalSustainable Cities Programme(SCP), key environmental concernswill now become a part of development planning for the city.
The UNDP will provide a grantof US $605,000 over 2 years tostrengthen local capabilities at theMadras Metropolitan Development Region for environmentalplanning and management.
The agreement was signed inJuly end by Hans-C Von Sponeck,resident representative, UNDP, G NHaldea, joint secretary (technicalcooperation), department of economic affairs, Union ministry offinance, and L N Vijayaraghavan,secretary, housing and urban development department, Tamil Nadu.
The development plans for theMadras Metropolitan Development area comprising of the jurisdiction under the Municipal Corporation of Madras, S other municipalities, several nagar panchayats and village panchayats, are beingprepared by the Madras Metropolitan Development Authority B(MMDA). Working groups will be Icreated to identify priority issues, ,strategies and action plans.
Under the project, the UNDPwill provide funds in the fieldsof environmental management,urban management, institutionaldevelopment and sustainablecities programme adviser, besidesstudy tour and fellowship trainingof MMDA officials. Assistance toNGOs to carry out smallscale projects to tackle environmental problems in lowncome settlements isalso envisaged.
The MMDA will be assisted bythe United Nations Centre forHousing and Shelter. Madras is theonly south Asian city to be included in the SCP along with 9 othercities in Africa, Latin America andEastern Europe.