Infrastructure First, Land Reservations Later: CSMRDA Planner

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

With the state budget (March 6) designating the city as a growth hub alongside Pune, Nagpur, and Nashik, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Metropolitan Region Development Authority (CSMRDA) is set for a stronger role.

Joint director town planning (JDTP) Metropolitan planner Harshal Bawiskar shared the authority's roadmap during a visit to the Lokmat bhavan, welcomed by Editor-in-Chief Rajendra Darda and executive director Karan Darda.

Bawiskar said the focus will be on building infrastructure within the authority's limits rather than imposing land reservations. A comprehensive jurisdiction study is underway, and planning will accelerate once the Metropolitan Planning Committee is formed. With projects like Auric industrial area and Toyota driving industrial growth, the region is being positioned as a manufacturing hub. Quality roads and infrastructure will be prioritised given the city's central location in the state. The authority currently faces fund and manpower shortages, relying largely on development permissions, but these gaps are expected to be addressed gradually.

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Needs 200 staff, has only 25

Established in 2019, CSMRDA covers 2,097 sq km now expanded with an additional 15,000 hectares (fringe villages) and 8,000 hectares (Waluj). It oversees 311 villages, 26 Cidco fringe villages, and Waluj industrial zones (Phases 1, 2 & 4), but operates with just 25 employees. Around 200 staff, including a full-time commissioner, are needed.

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Village breakdown

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar – 143

Gangapur – 67

Khuldabad – 41

Paithan – 43

Phulambri – 19

Fringe Area – 26

Total: 342 villages