Muradnagar shows growth potential

The site of the original town lies around 1.5 kms from the National Highway NH 58. Over the years,this highway saw the first signs of development around its vicinity and the earlier phase of growth took place along what is now called the main road in Muradnagar.

The abadi or the populated area has concentrated around two cores: one around the original village site and the other at the junction of the Main Road and NH-58.

The town is a constituent area within the National Capital Region and was designated as a service centre in the Uttar Pradesh Sub Regional Plan,2001. Delhi is 35 kms away,and Meerut,the other prominent city in the region is 32 kms away and are well-connected through the national highway network and the railways.

The Upper Ganga Canal,a major irrigation facility in western Uttar Pradesh,lies immediately to the east of the town and flows in the north-south direction.

Functional Character

The town is primarily known on account of the Ordnance Factory set up in 1943,which occupies an area of 323.15 hectares around 798 acres. Besides that,Muradnagar is also famous for its handloom and zari work units. Lately,a large number of educational and vocational training institutes have come up on the outskirts of the town towards Ghaziabad.

Due to proximity and good connectivity to Ghaziabad and Delhi,Muradnagar has grown rapidly in recent decades. It recorded a population growth rate of 70 per cent during 1981-91 and 68 per cent during 1991-2001. The population as per the 2001 census stood at 75,151.

The physical spread of the town is directed mainly towards Ghaziabad on both sides of the NH-58. Simultaneously,the town is extending its built up area towards the north,where few plotted developments are visible. The growth towards the south is limited due to the railway line and also because of the large area occupied by the Ordnance Factory.

Land use study

The base map of Muradnagar area has been prepared using 0.5 metre resolution satellite imagery procured from the National Remote Sensing Centre. The imagery pertains to mid-2011. A detailed physical survey was carried out in the town for 20 days during the months of September and October 2011 to identify land use type,built/vacant character,height of buildings etc. The total existing developed area of the town as per the Muradnagar Master Plan 2021 is 536.20 hectares. As per the survey undertaken the developed area in 2011 is 882.38 hectares.

The existing land use can be broadly classified into developed and undeveloped land. The developed area is further classified into residential,commercial,industrial,public/semi-public,green and open spaces,transportation,utility and vacant land. The undeveloped land comprises agricultural lands and a water body.

Site Constraints amp; POTENTIAL

There are numerous constraints that hinder effective planning of the town. The first among them are the narrow roads and the mixed land use in the core area that has led to traffic chaos.

The second factor is that a number of textile industries are located in residential areas and are causing environmental pollution. There is a deficiency of parks,playgrounds and open spaces in the town. Further,the town has developed along the NH-58,with the highway being the main road. Substantial traffic travels along this highway leading to noise and pollution. This is based on a traffic volume count survey and an on street/off street parking survey carried out in the town.

As regards other amenities,the town roads are poorly maintained. Transport infrastructure is poor. The town has no bus terminal and buses are parked along the road and various roadside points are being used as a bus station.

Then there are natural constraints on the growth of the town,which is restricted in the eastern direction due to the Upper Ganga Canal acting as a physical barrier and also the railway line that is driving growth linearly along the NH-58.

The analysis reveals that the proportion of areas under residential,public,semi-public and commercial areas appear to be quite adequate. There are also vast tracts of vacant land in the developed areas. This shows that Muradnagar has substantial possibilities of absorbing additional population and activities through infilling within existing developed limits.

The author is Director,REPL,an urban planning consultancy and is associated with the planning process