The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has initiated a major planning exercise covering around 166 sq km of notified growth clusters in Raigad district, with the authority appointing a consultant to undertake aerial surveys, ground verification and GIS-based mapping.
The exercise covers the Neral, Karjat, Poynad and Alibag Surrounding Areas and is intended to create the groundwork for preparing Development Plans for these rapidly urbanising regions.
The appointed consultant will collect land ownership records and cadastral maps, verify existing land use and land cover, and integrate the information into a GIS-based base map. The survey will help establish the status of individual parcels before zoning, road reservations and other development parameters are finalised.
MMRDA Takes Over Planning Role
The Maharashtra government designated MMRDA as the Special Planning Authority (SPA) for these areas through notifications issued on May 19, 2026, under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966.
The Neral Surrounding Area includes 13 revenue villages in Ambernath taluka of Thane and 11 villages in Karjat taluka of Raigad. The Karjat Surrounding Area covers another 28 villages, while the Poynad and Alibag Surrounding Areas each include 11 villages.
The same notification transferred the planning authority for the Alibag Surrounding Area from CIDCO to MMRDA.
Preparing for Planned Urban Growth
Neral and Karjat, located along the Mumbai-Pune railway and expressway corridor, have witnessed growing interest from developers and second-home buyers due to improving connectivity and their proximity to the Mumbai and Pune markets.
Alibag and Poynad, meanwhile, have emerged as popular coastal destinations for weekend homes and tourism-related development, supported by road links and ferry connectivity with Mumbai.
By bringing the notified clusters under a common planning authority, MMRDA aims to establish a more coordinated development framework in areas previously governed largely through fragmented local planning processes.
The mapping exercise is expected to form the base for a formal Development Plan to be submitted to the state government. Accurate land records and land-use mapping will be particularly important for identifying agricultural, forest, built-up and Coastal Regulation Zone areas before future development is planned.
Part of Wider MMR Expansion
The initiative is separate from MMRDA’s larger 323.44-sq-km Karnala-Sai-Chirner (KSC) New Town, or Third Mumbai, project, for which Singapore-based Surbana Jurong is preparing a master plan.
MMRDA has also been designated the Special Planning Authority for the 1,681-sq-km Mumbai Metropolitan Region Extended Notified Area (MMR-ENA) covering parts of Palghar and Raigad.
Together, these initiatives indicate MMRDA’s expanding role in planning Mumbai’s outer growth areas as urbanisation increasingly moves beyond the core city into Raigad and neighbouring districts.
Source: Prop News Time
