The Tamil Nadu government said it will make Urban Development Authorities operational in a phased manner nearly five years after issuing orders to create such bodies for six cities. The Urban Development Minister informed the Assembly that the authorities will be established in Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchy, Tiruppur, Salem and Hosur and will receive wider planning and infrastructure powers similar to the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority. The UDAs were announced in 2021 and government orders were issued at the time, but the entities did not become operational. The state amended the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971, in 2022 to provide a statutory framework for the authorities and the minister said the phased activation is intended to convert the legal provisions into functioning agencies. Administrative steps and coordination with local bodies will be required. Regional plans are being prepared for 10 regions to guide development beyond individual towns and cities. Draft reports for five regions — Madurai, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Vellore and Villupuram — are expected to be completed by April 2027. The government is also moving towards GIS-based master planning, with current coverage of 123 Master Plans across 130 towns and final plans for eight regions expected by April 2027. An earlier order to expand the Chennai Metropolitan Area from 1,189 sq km to 5,904 sq km was issued, but a master plan for the enlarged area was not prepared. The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority is preparing the Third Master Plan for 2027-2046 for the existing 1,189 sq km area and a separate comprehensive master plan is proposed for the expanded jurisdiction to address longer term infrastructure needs. A committee has been formed to carry out GIS-assisted field surveys in Coimbatore district to identify areas that could be excluded from the Hill Area Planning region, and a similar exercise will be undertaken in other protected hill areas. The minister presented the measures as part of a broader effort to align statutory protections and planning frameworks with on-the-ground conditions.