Land classification in Coimbatore Master Plan shocks farmers, residents

Some of the farmers and residents in Coimbatore city have opposed the land classification in the recently released Coimbatore Master Plan.

“The Plan has reversed the changes made in the draft plan and has not incorporated several objections registered by the public for the draft plan,” alleged one of the architects in the city.

It is not legally right to change the draft plan when there are no objections and the objections given by the public should be taken into consideration. There are industries, property promoters, and individuals who invested in land based on the draft plan. For instance, one of the land owners near Vadavalli finds the land he purchased for property development based on the draft plan classified as agri land again. Many areas earmarked as residential in the draft plan is now reversed to dry agri land. “We have gone back by 20 years. It means the land owner has to approach the Local Planning Area for a no objection area to develop that land and this will be a time-consuming process,” the architect alleged.

The Kongu Mandalam Farmers Association and the residents of nearly seven villages in Annur area have opposed the marking of area for a 200-feet wide bypass road through the villages in the Plan. “We submitted our opposition when the draft plan was released. Our objections have been ignored. We have submitted a memorandum to the District Collector now,” said Dhanapal, one of the villagers.

When area is marked for a 200-feet road, the plan makes it impossible to develop that area. However, people have already developed some of the plots earmarked for the road project, he added. “We cannot accept the Local Planning Authority’s proposal to destroy residential and agriculture development for the road project,” he said.