CHENNAI: In line with Chief Minister MK Stalin's directive to increase the number of city corporation zones from 15 to 20, the Greater Chennai Corporation has finalised the restructured zonal map, as per an announcement from the Municipal Administration Department on Friday. The decision was taken to ensure balance in allocation of resources and manpower between very densely populated zones and less densely populated zones.

Officials stated that the restructuring was done on the basis of the projected 2023 population using the 2011 census, along with factors such as population density, property tax estimation, electorate, number of streets, and street density.

According to the new zonal map, the total population in these zones is recorded at 79,53,147, with the count of properties at 13,82,848.

Zones 3, 4 and 5 have the highest projected population of at least 6 lakh people each. Zone 5, which contains Kolathur, Perambur and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar assembly constituencies, has 6,43,297 people while Zone 3, covering RK Nagar and Perambur constituencies, has 6,05,715 people. On the other hand, Zone 4, which includes Harbour and Royapuram assembly constituencies, has 6,02,328 people, as per the new zonal map.

Meanwhile, Zone 19, which comprises parts of Alandur and Sholinganallur, has been considered the least populated zone, with a total projected population of 1,57,194.

In terms of wards, Zone 1 covering parts of Madhavaram, Ponneri and Tiruvottiyur constituencies, has the maximum number of wards (19), whereas Zone 19 has the minimum number of 6 wards.

Zone 1 is also the largest in terms of area spanning 54.40 square kilometres, and Zone 10, covering Chepauk, Triplicane, and Mylapore is the smallest, spanning 8.10 square kilometres.

In terms of property count, parts of Mylapore, Saidapet and Velachery Assembly constituencies, which will come under Zone 17, rank the highest, with 96,133 properties. Coming second is Zone 12 with 87,634 properties across parts of T Nagar and Virugambakkam constituencies.

The Greater Chennai Corporation was expanded in 2011 by merging 42 local bodies, increasing its geographical area to 426 square kilometres. At that time, the city population was 66.72 lakh. As the population is estimated to have risen to around 85 lakh now, it has resulted in an uneven distribution of population across the zones, said media reports.

At present, the city corporation has 15 zones, which include Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Ambattur, Anna Nagar, Teynampet, Kodambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Adyar, Perungudi and Sholinganallur.

Check the proposed new zones and associated Assembly constituencies here: