Vibrant plan for AP capital ready

• Business district, townships among other facilities in the new capital
• The Seed Capital Area to shelter 3 lakh residents
• Nearly 7 lakh will get employment
• Capital plan developed by a consortium of Singapore firms

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh government on Monday received the Seed Capital Area (SCA) master plan, the third and final component of the proposed new capital city, designed by a consortium of Singapore firms led by Sarbana International Consultants.

The seed capital comprises key government structures along with a central business district and residential townships among other facilities across 16.9 square km area on the northern portion of the capital city abutting the perennial River Krishna. The city, which is planned for about 3 lakh residents, will be developed as a vibrant business hub generating a total of seven lakh jobs.

Singapore’s Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran, who submitted the master plan to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at Rajahmundry on Monday said it was a beginning of great city. The partnership of Singapore with AP would begin from this point and they would continue to collaborate on development of Amaravati, he said.

The plan for the core capital area of Amaravati shows meticulous planning of a vibrant, diverse inclusive and environmentally-sustainable urban centre. It takes into consideration the six key factors -- providing jobs and homes, world class infrastructure, quality living, protecting identity, protecting heritage tag, resource and environment management.

Iswaran said the twin towers on the lines of Petronas towers of Malaysia and another mega structure with 25-storeyed complex for the IT establishment form the main highlights of the core capital region. The core region will be complemented by seven regional centres spanning over different townships abutting the capital region like Nandigama, where the various industrial zones have been planned.

Special emphasis has been laid on development of extensive walkways and pedestrianisation interlinked with open and green spaces which comprise over 40 per cent of the SCA. The SCA has been divided into central business district, residential townships, institutions, parks and gardens and water bodies besides recreational spaces and a 30 km-long public water front.

The Singapore model of effluent treatment plants has found place in planning for the seed capital region with provisions for sewerage discharge and its treatment before being released into River Krishna. The SCA had provisions for waste management systems that would enable innovative methods for waste collection, transportation, treatment and resource recovery like waste to energy, thereby creating a resourceful, safe and healthy city.

In the third stage, according to government of Andhra Pradesh, the seed capital area has been planned on transit-oriented development principles. "To provide and enhance mobility and accessibility to the citizens, the master plan provides a transport hierarchy that comprises an integrated network of metro rail network of about 12 km, bus rapid transit of about 15 km, downtown road of about 7 km, arterial roads and sub-arterial roads of about 26 km and collector roads of about 53 km with varying broad right-of-ways," according to the plan

The Seed Capital Area will be implemented on public-private partnership mode by selecting an investment partner. The government is also in the process of selecting a master developer who in turn will facilitate the investments and tie ups from global companies for the construction of the capital city.

AP government had initially estimated that the capital city would require about Rs 1.2 lakh crore investments for its development. The government also hopes to attract as much as $50 billion investment into the infrastructure as well as a host of industrial hubs being proposed around the capital city.