Environmental guidelines for new towns

The guidelines broadly define "new town" as self contained, self supported, economically viable and planned urban nucleus either away from an existing town or city or in the vicinity of existing town or city as a satellite community; centers of trade, industrial growth and commercial activities; residential colonies near mines, ports and large industries; or towns established as State capitals or district administrative centers; cantonments and townships around universities and technical institutions.

The following are environmental considerations that would apply equally to all the types of new towns:

• The township must be structured so as to lead progressively towards a self supporting self-managed city with a local body capable of raising its own resources and being helped by both public and private sector enterprises and by governments.
• In the planning and design of the new towns, larger environmental dimensions of the region in terms of conservation areas, protection of amenities and where necessary, enhancement of the environmental facilities, such as natural forests, fuel forests and others should be foreseen and provided for.
• During the construction phase, the construction of the new towns should not lead to the depletion of the natural resources of the surrounding areas in terms of timber, bricks, lime and other essential materials.
• The gaseous effluents should not cause pollution in the area and the location of such air pollution prone industries must be such as to avoid not only the habitations within the new town but also habitations in the adjacent communities.
• The service systems specially drinking water, drainage, garbage disposal and disposal of gaseous effluents in the proposed new towns have to be so organised, specially water supply and drainage, as not to disturb or disrupt the existing service systems in the region.
• It is necessary that its linkages with the existing cities and towns in the area within the commuting distance and the likely interactions between the new town and the existing cities and towns are identified and promoted in a rational manner for common benefit of all the communities.
• The environment within the town has to be designed to meet the full requirements of a growing population anticipating the needs in the next 15 - 20 years and provide for them.
• The size of the town should not exceed the sustaining capability of the area in terms of natural amenities such as drinking water, open spaces, drainage and sanitation, fresh air and other life requirements.