Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA): Role, projects

KMDA: Driving urban development

Formerly known as the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority, the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KDMA) is responsible for statutory planning and development of the Kolkata metropolitan area in West Bengal. The authority is governed under the state’s urban development ministry.

June 12, 2023: Around 9 illegal buildings on KMDA land on the EM Bypass have been demolished and more such demolition drives will be planned in future, as per a ToI report.  Boundary walls will be constructed around plots that are free from encroachments and litigations so that they can be auctioned on free-hold basis for residential and commercial development. Also, the KDMA is fining plot owners who have kept their plots unused for a long time.  As per the ToI report, there are close to 200 plots measuring 120 acre around Kasaba, Patuli and adjoining areas of BM Bypass.

Innovative solutions for urban growth – KMDA

Conceived as the city’s planning agency, the KMDA was formed in 1970, to plan new areas and townships in the city. Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority functions now include creating and maintaining infrastructure and providing amenities to the citizens.

Jurisdiction of KMDA

The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority governs the entire KMDA which includes:

• Kolkata district
• Hooghly district
• Howrah district
• Nadia district
• North 24 Parganas district
• South 24 Parganas district

Functions of KMDA

The KMDA’s functional domains broadly cover the following three:

• Regulatory works
• Planning for development
• Project implementation

Besides these areas, the KMDA is also engaged in providing consultancy and implementing projects on behalf of other public sector agencies.

See also: All about New Town Kolkata

The KMDA Kolkata body also has to prepare existing land-use maps and registers for different zones within the Kolkata municipal area. The .KMDA authority is also responsible for adopting and implementing these land use maps and development control regulations (DCRs). The KMDA body is engaged in carrying out different levels of planning exercise, right from perspective plan to formulation of investment programmes.

The KMDA has implemented a number of projects in different sectors of infrastructure such as water supply, sewerage and drainage, traffic and transportation, township and area development, housing and slum improvement, commercial complexes, parks and playgrounds, etc.

The KMDA also works as a nodal agency for implementation of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JN-NURM) for Kolkata and Asansol urban areas.

The KMDA works with different government departments/agencies for planning, designing and implementing certain projects that require specialised skills, such as geographic information system (GIS), which is one of the major strengths of the authority.

See also: All about Kolkata Metro East West corridor

KMDA: Building better cities together

Major ongoing projects

Kolkata BRTS: The Kolkata Bus Rapid Transit System is a 15.5- km bus rapid transit corridor, beginning at Ultadanga, running along EM Bypass to Garia. The corridor connects major growth centres like Ultadanga, Salt Lake, Tangra Metropolitan, Anandapur, Mukundapur and Patuli township. The project was expected to be finished in 2018 but the work is not yet complete.

See also: All about Mumbai metro route

Kolkata West International City: It is a proposed satellite township at Salap in Howrah district, in the form of a joint venture between various foreign investors. The KDMA acquired a 390-acre plot and will provide about 11,000 apartments to house nearly 36,000 people. The first phase of the project will span across 82 acres, with the flats being priced between Rs 20 lakhs and Rs 80 lakhs. There are plans to set up dedicated power stations, sports facilities, IT parks, entertainment zones, hospitals and schools in the township.

See also: All about Writer’s Building Kolkata

KMDA contact details

See also: A guide to paying property tax in Kolkata

FAQs

(Additional inputs: Surbhi Gupta)