By: Manju Yagnik, Vice-Chairperson, Nahar Group
Track2Realty Exclusive: All major cities are crowded beyond their limits and most are replete with problems like traffic, pollution, housing problems, lack of space, not to mention the ever-rising cost of living. Industry experts believe that integrated townships are the best solution proposed to counter the problem of crowded cities.
Urban India is bursting at its seams. The population explosion is spilling over in the cities, and the urban sprawls across the length and breadth of the country have turned into urban chaos. It is a natural phenomenon of all developing economies as cities offer job opportunities to educated and aspirant youths.
These circumstances put pressure on the need for housing making it increasingly difficult to ensure infrastructure development in future. Under the scenario, integrated townships offer the probable solution where infrastructure development can be planned and ensured for the residents at present as well as in future.
In fact when we look at the migration of rural populace into the urban areas since 1950s, the rate of influx into the city has been astonishingly high. In 1950 the proportion of urban population in India was barely 17 per cent, but in 2010 it was over 40 per cent. By 2030, this is expected to reach 60-70 per cent which, assuming a total population of 150 crore in 2030, would mean around 60 crore people living in cities!
In fact, the city centres have become so crowded that a significant number of consumers living in major urban centres are becoming interested in the idea of living in one of the many planned townships that are being built away from major urban hubs and chaos. The concept of living in integrated township projects has now attained maturity in Indian real estate sector.
Growing income levels have also contributed to a change in consumer profile, as they are not averse to breaking away from joint family systems, to experience the new lifestyle offered by these urban housings. They have become demanding and a plethora of amenities are being offered to them, such as swimming pools, clubs, landscaped gardens, 24 hours security and housekeeping. Due to huge demand coupled with economies of scale, an integrated township offers all these amenities to fulfil these aspirations.
Planning of integrated townships is done with careful understanding of the needs of the present and future expansion. It definitely involves more than just a blue print on drawing board, and goes into a visualisation into the future. Most townships are planned in phases, with broad spaces clearly demarcated for residential, commercial and social infrastructure.
These townships follow the principle of utilizing of 60 per cent area for residential construction and creating of parks and gardens on 20 per cent area. The idea is also to ensure care and integration of the existing ecological systems, rainwater harvesting system and efficient waste management system.
Today, developers are building townships with hosts of high-end amenities, such as club house, luxury star hotel and even golf course, apart from other essential amenities such as school, college, hospital, gardens and playgrounds.
…to be continued
