GIS-based master plan for 9 more cities to be made soon

PATNA: The state urban development and housing department (UDHD) has started the search for consultants to prepare the geographic information system (GIS)-based master plan for nine more Bihar cities selected under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut) project.
The nine cities have been divided into three groups with Araria, Forbesganj and Khagaria falling in the first group, Lakhisarai, Jamui and Bhahua in the second group and Sheohar, Sitamarhi and Madhubani in the third group.
The master plan will seek to improve infrastructure of the cities to meet the future requirements of the residents as well as to address the gaps in the existing infrastructure. This will facilitate strengthening the of the cities’ existing facilities.
The department has initiated the bidding process to select three consultancy firms for three different groups of cities by January next year. The work on preparing master plan of the selected cities will begin from February and complete in next six to nine months depending on the size of the urban area.
According to sources, the proposed master plan will be prepared to cater to the developmental requirements of corporation areas for another 20 years. It will improve tax collection and prevent revenue leakages. The selected consultancy firms will conduct the socio-economic assessment of the cities.
A UDHD official said the survey would cover demographic details, household categories, population report, education status, land holdings and cropping patterns, topography, climate, natural resources, demography, urban-rural trend, employment, economic aspects, traffic and transportation, water supply, sanitation, health, recreational facilities and other civic amenities. “It will provide detailed information on existing status and developmental strategies required in each sector to ensure better amenities to people in the urban areas,” the official added.
The GIS-based master plan for Patna was prepared in the first phase. The development plan for four cities – Chhapra, Rajgir, Begusarai and Biharsharif – is at the final stage. Work has recently started in 11 other cities – Buxar, Kishanganj, Katihar, Sasaram, Dehri, Motihari, Aurangabad, Hajipur, Siwan, Bettiah and Bagaha – under the Centre’s Amrut project.