Re-development and urban planning:Catastrophic Mumbai

Mumbai's known history dates back to as early as 150 A.D. when City of Bombay, as it was known then, consisting of several islands was ruled by kolis and agris, the native inhabitants.


These natives ruled the islands upto 1345 A.D. Thereafter, the rulers changed down the history till the Islamic rulers invaded India and conquered some of the islands in 1534 A.D. 


Subsequently, a Muslim ruler from Gujarat took over all the islands, which were then conquered by the Portuguese. In 1661 A.D., the island of Bombay was added to the Britishers as a part of Royal Dowry, on the occasion of the marriage of King Charles II of England with the Portuguese princess Infanta Catherine. 
The island of Bombay, was then to remain the part of British Empire till 15th August,1947, on which day our country saw the first dawn of independence from foreign rule.


Mumbai, extending from Colaba in the south, to Mulund and Dahisar in the north, and Mankhurd in the east, is administered by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The city is constrained by its inability to expand horizontally on the West and South, thanks to Arabian sea. The island city has grown far and wide towards the North (Vasai, Virar suburbs fall within city practically speaking) and Navi Mumbai suburbs as well.

Real estate prices have ruled the roost in Mumbai since time immemorial naturally due to paucity of empty tracts of land and on the other side ample demand fed by thriving business and commercial activities.

Although FSI in Mumbai is lower in general as compared to global megapolis like New York, Seoul, Singapore the consideration with respect to setbacks, street widening, % building footprint are extremely lax in this city. More specifically, in south Mumbai the FSI has come down from 3.5 to 1.33. However other critical parameters with respect to public free space, parking lots, approach roads etc..are compromised in many of the re-development / new constructed buildings in Mumbai.


 TDR (transfer of developmental rights) was a nice innovative model of buying FSI from some far off suburbs / location, for deploying the same  in a high demand location. It has worked well for BMC, who got loads of revenue and real estate developers started selling the built-up space at super built up premium rates.This is unlike in other developed cities such as New York, where a TDR can be used in adjacent building only so that total FSI in a block remains constant.

Since all real estate development is palatable only if corresponding urban infrastructure planning was done in tandem the potential catastrophe of Mumbai may not be too far, until concretisation of Mumbai is complete. What we would have is utter chaos on the road due to inadequate approach and exits, overloaded sewage system, inadequate water supply, overloaded electric supply system etc..

Let us examine this with a  building re-development in a Bandra suburb .

Access roads, footpaths, Storm water drainage, Sewage system, Drinking water facility, Parking provisions are essentially the constituents of a Urban infrastructure planning. 

A colony with about 100 buildings each with 4 storeys each having two residential flats of average 600 sq ft. Such a colony coming for re-development since it has run its life of 45 years means, an opportunity of atleast 5 lakh+ sq ft. 

About 40 buildings have already been demolished for re-development till now. Towers which are anywhere from 15 floors to 25 floors are being built using the similar land coverage where stood 4 storey buildings. 


Hopefully the main sewage and water supply system has adequate capacity to take this additional influx of residents.  The approach roads have not been widened to take care of additional car movement which is likely, once all these projects are commissioned.


The strong nexus of developer and municipal officials is evident when one observes closely the manner in which public roads are blatantly being occupied by the building contractors for storing building materials, cement mixers etc. There is no concern for safety of passers-by who get struck by falling stones, pebbles due to absence of safety nets..The above incidents are visible to an eye of a layman. 


What gets hidden is the inadequacies of the other public utility systems, which only time will reveal ! As someone had said only God can save Mumbai from this human catastrophe !!

Maharashtra Tourism: Yet another neglected opportunity

With International tourist arrivals (ITA) into India rising 8% in 2010 to 5.5 mn (less than 50% are tourists) , it may be construed as an achievement by those in the apex body of the sector. Unfortunately, these are abysmal stats, if we compare it with our small or big Asian neighbors. 


HongKong (China) itself has seen 20 mn ITA (equivalent revenues being US$ 22 bn) whereas Malaysia has seen 24.5 mn ITA (equivalent revenues being US$ 17.8 bn).
 If one were to dare to, compare an European country say France, the ITA were 76 mn in 2010 (equivalent revenues being US$ 46 bn) !!


 If one were to try and capture India's natural proposition to a foreign tourist it would simply be like this; 


India is the holiday destination with 7500 km of shoreline, multiple serene & exotic beaches of Goa, Puri, Karnataka, Kerala, diverse climatic regions with Snow clad Himalayas, the hot arid desert in Rajasthan, the towering Vindhyas and Sahyadri mountain ranges and but of course the numerous historic monuments comprising forts, palaces etc in many states.


It is simply unfathomable for an avid traveler and patriotic Indian, to witness a country which has immense natural wealth but cannot be one of the top tourist destinations of the world.


Only judicious introspection, initiatives and implementation can bring out a step change. It may be prudent to start scrutinizing one state as a case for tourism betterment.


The example of Maharashtra which sees the highest number of arrivals, albeit not for the sole purpose of 'tourism' may be apt. 


Maharashtra (means 'great state' in Sanskrit) is the 2nd most populous state and 3rd largest state in India. It is one of the richest state in terms of GDP contribution and also one of the rich states in terms of natural habitat and diversity it has to offer for an avid tourism buff.


The state has over 350 forts to boast of, most of which are over 400 years old. Ancient caves some of which are dating back to 2nd B.C. Six national parks in the state namely, Navegaon near Gondia, Nagzira in Bhandara, Tadoba in Vidarbha, Pench in Nagpur, Chandoli in Sangli, Gugamal in Melghat and Sanjay Gandhi Park in Mumbai. Maharashtra has an impressive sea shore of 720 km stretching from Dahanu in North right uptill Goa border in the south. Someone with a penchant for sand, sea and turf, Maharashtra is the place !. Western ghats some standing tall at 2000 m provide a refreshing alternative to city life !


The Ashtavinayak (Eight divine temples of Lord  Ganesh) is a sacred tour of Ganesh temples much sought after by every god fearing person in Maharashtra and other parts of the country.


With such natural glory and beauty in the midst why has Maharashtra failed to capitalize on this tourism opportunity !
Well, simply put the reasons are initiative, planning and commitment !! 
Lets scratch the surface to examine obvious failures..!!!


Start with the majestic forts in Maharashtra..Janjira fort is one of the most amazing forts both in terms of historic significance as well as the natural placing (right in middle of the sea). Maharashtra Tourism Dept. has played little role in developing this once formidable monument of India. Little does the department realize that the ferry / jetty, entry to the fort and the internal fort pathways could do with some amount of refurbishment / renovation. 
Ironically, the state tourism dept. leaves it mark here as well with no sign boards, totally lack of any tourist information and refreshment facilities.


The question an Indian tourist would ask is why would a foreign tourist get attracted to such places which smacks of total neglect !!


On the other hand, not far away in Rajasthan, whether it be Amer fort or Kumbhalgarh fort, the RTDC has done a magnificent job in renovating and making it tourist friendly in every manner possible.


If one were to move to Pratapgarh near Mahabaleshwar, which was one of the popular forts in our history thanks to the smart act by Great Shivaji of executing the cunning Khan. What has Maharashtra government done to promote this fort as a tourist destination, zilch ! 


In the last three decades, the minor change I see at this fort is that a good parking area has been created and some broken walls and steps have been fixed. 


Maharashtra tourism dept. could could do with some innovative approaches, probably  showcasing a video cast of the heroic deeds of Shivaji or maybe having a exhibition and guided tour of the place. The fort is yet another neglected tourist destination of Maharashtra !


It is appalling to see that urchins damage / ruin public property in such historic places, unauthorized guides hanging around, making an Indian tourist (forget foreigner) wonder whether he is trustworthy or not  !


If one moves to the virgin beaches along Konkan, some of the so called beaches in Mauritius or   Seychelles may be put to shame, such is the natural beauty in Konkan belt ! 


MTDC has not touched these beaches, I guess we should thank them !!. But those tourist spots and sacred places such as 'Ganpatipule' which are equally enamoring have been handled with pure inexperienced hands. 


Why cant we market our holy destinations the way the Europeans market Vatican or Goa markets its Cathedrals to tourists !!


'Ashtavinayak' (Lord Ganesh temple chain) sees lakhs of domestic tourist arrivals in a month. The situation at the locations is appaling to say the least. MTDC doesn't claim its existence here in any form apart from the solitary signboard at the highways guiding you to the temple.


Abysmally maintained roads (highway to the temple) which are about 2 km stretch typically speaking, are never laid the right way. Why has MTDC not been able to standardize basic amenities such as toilet, washrooms, rest rooms and refreshment facilities at the sacred locations in Maharashtra. Least one would expect is to have proper water closet around the temple area. Lack of hygiene, cleanliness rules, obviously due to improper planning and resultant lack of fund allocation.




Even if Tourism dept. were to hopefully maintain and conserve existing natural assets in the state, it would be akin to a great achievement, such is the sorry state of Maharashtra tourism !




The marketing initiatives by state tourism dept. need not be as ambitious as the Gujarat tourism campaign or Kerala 'Gods own country' campaign, because it would be too much to bite for the dept. minions. However  it is time for Maharashtra tourism dept. to think of small step advertising to start with in the mass media.


Needless to say, tourism development and progress of state go hand in hand !!
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Passport Via the Quick Channel Route (Bribing away to glory)

There is a time in everyone’s life when one wakes up to a great opportunity beckoning you at your doorstep. And this opportunity is so attractive that you would like to believe that nothing can stop you now from grabbing that. 


One such opportunity came knocking at my good friend Visky’s doorstep. He got a job with a leading financial institution in Tokyo, Japan after grueling rounds of telephonic and face to face assessments in India. The appointment letter which had come in through the mail said that Visky needs to be in Tokyo in 3 weeks time on dot at 9 am in The Financial Tower, 8th floor. Visky jumped up with delight and anxiety and called up his Ticketing agent for inquiring about the Japanese Travel Visa process. That was the moment when enlightenment happened; the Indian passport which Visky held for last ten years was nearing expiry in another 5 months. Japanese travel advisory rules required a passport to be valid for minimum 9 months for Visa application acceptance.


Lo and behold! Visky was in for a shock. Little did he realise that this could be the end of the road for him as far as the Tokyo job was concerned. He picked up the phone again to check the earliest date by which he could get his passport renewed from the Mumbai Passport office. The Ticketing agent had answer which was not encouraging enough, atleast 4 days through the ‘Tatkaal route’ after you get an application submission appointment. Visky knew that the ‘Tatkaal’ (fast track) route was best he could attempt for and immediately logged into his computer and browsed the passport website to secure a date of appointment. After filling in a whole long list of identity questions and document references, Visky secured a date for submitting his application. Earliest date was about 2.5 weeks away !. 


Visky quickly calculated the time he had for securing the Visa after he gets his renewed passport, it was just not enough to make it to Tokyo in 3 weeks. He was aghast and started sweating profusely. He could see his dream of working for a major institution and that too in one of the foremost markets of the world going for a toss. 


He thought he cannot give up so easily and thought of making a visit to the Passport office in the hope of getting a solution. Next day sharp at 830 am, Visky was at the Old Passport office, Worli in the queue with number of like-minded and eager wannabe travelers. To his dismay, Visky was politely asked to stand outside the gate till 11 am until the Passport In-charge Mr. Haulbani gets the time to see visitors.


After a 2 hour+ agonizing wait, Visky was escorted with an army of similar eager beavers to the first floor, where chaos ruled. Visky realized soon enough that, meeting Mr. Haulbani to seek an exceptional consideration for a quick appointment was to remain a dream. After waiting for another half hour at the waiting hall on 1st floor, Visky ran into a soft spoken gentleman who had come over with his son for seeking a quick passport service and was equally anxious about the entire situation. This gentleman named Mr. Dharkar, who later was going to become an angel in disguise for Visky, gave a telephonic call to one gentleman named Mr. Krishna Mehra at Matunga. Mr. Mehra was apparently an agent for Visa and Passport applications and quite reputed as per Mr Dharkar’s friend.


Since Mr.Dharkar was left without much option, he decided to go to Agent Mehra as it was the only resort for finding a solution to getting a Passport in quick-fix manner. My friend Visky also got convinced about this solitary option and piled on with Mr Dharkar in his BMW zooming off in the direction of Matunga. Mr.Mehra was a middle aged bearded man with an air of confidence of doing anything and everything connected with travel and tourism. He gave us a surprised look, and asked the group almost with ridicule about the reason for going to Mr Haulbani’s office. 


According to him, Mr Haulbani was an IPS officer deputed at the Passport office for a temporary period and now quite enjoying his posting. It was practically impossible to meet Mr. Haulbani given the time pressure he was under etc…Mr.Mehra however claimed to have a direct line with Mr.Haulbani. This was a great revelation and Visky’s respect for Mr.Mehra suddenly shot up !


Visky and Dharkar duo tried to be comfortable in the not so cosy 2 feet x 2 feet non-descript tin-box shop of Mr.Mehra. Mr Dharkar's  son then narrated his angst. 


The story went like this; Mr. Dharkar’s son was to leave for Germany in the next fortnight and his passport had a validity of more than 10 years. Shenzhen visa rules stipulates that the passport validity be less than 10 years for granting visa. Mr. Dharkar’s son wanted his passport validity to be reduced to less than 10 years. The influential Mr.Mehra asked couple of questions to Mr Dharkar, nodded and picked up the phone (which Visky realized later was to the Worli Passport Backoffice). The earliest appointment date available at Passport office was 3 days from now. Visky almost fell down from his chair with shock and awe and little admiration !
Mr Dharkar and son submitted all papers, made the signatures and handed over the documents to Mr. Mehra. The question on Mr.Dharkar’s mind was, how was Mr. Mehra going to manage this and what was the level of assurance of getting the passport in a matter of ten days?
To this Mr. Mehra retorted with such confidence that Visky was left open-mouthed. Mr.Mehra said that he was in this industry for last one decade and never have they failed in their commitment to deliver their promise. This service is possible only because he meets the requirements of the people who matter at the Passport office. Visky was almost tempted to ask whose requirements were met, but thought it wise to keep his mouth shut.


No sooner had the Dharkars left the tinbox, Visky started off narrating his potential tragedy in the making. Once Visky had completed, Mr.Mehra looked through Visky’s blue colored passport and asked him whether his CID verification was done for this passport. Visky scratched his head and remembered his solitary visit to Kalachowkie police station number of years back.


To this response Mr.Mehra gave a broad smile and picked up the phone, put it on speaker phone and quickly narrated Visky’s passport number details to a very alert voice on the other end. There was a moment of silence, after which Mr Mehra asked for name of the passport and expiry date and asked for CID verification confirmation. The responses were positive in all respects. Visky’s name, passport expiry date and CID verification matched. Visky was amazed not because the person on the other end knew the answers, but more so because it was getting pleasantly confirmed that Mr.Mehra had the right connections.


The next appointment date available for Visky was three days away. Yipee !! and a renewed passport under Tatkaal would be about a week away if all goes well. All this convenience and ease for few extra thousands, felt Visky. Delightedly Visky signed all the forms and documents and handed it over in total confidence to Mr.Mehra.


As a parting word, Mr Mehra said to Visky that it is a matter of trust between us and the people we rely upon to get this job done so quickly; and for this trust there is a small price. On hearing these golden
words, Visky smiled and left the tin-box shelter agreeing to meet Mr.Mehra three days later opposite the Passport office. 


Day 3, at the passport office, Visky reached at 10 am, well in time for his 1030 am appointment. Mr.Mehra parked his bike and walked towards Visky clutching handful of papers. Mr.Mehra handed the application form, neatly stapled copies of various proofs etc and the original passport and intialised HV on the corner of the application form in dark pencil.


Mr.Mehra pointed out from a distance to a security guard at the passport office entrance and asked Visky to show him these initials. These two alphabets were akin to the ‘Khulja Sim Sim’ magical words for Visky, and which were to open doors for the flight to Tokyo.


Nervously Visky crossed the road and walked straight to the guard and showed off the initials on the form. The guard nodded and ushered Visky into the Passport application hall. Visky walked to the window number 12 as advised by Mr.Mehra and waited for his turn. Within 20 minutes, the clerk at Window 12 was stamping Visky’s papers. To Visky’s surprise, the clerk was not interested in perusing Visky’s papers at all. Visky thought, such is the power of two alphabets !. From Window 12, Visky was asked to deposit the official fee at the cash counter.


Visky jubilantly walked out of the hall at 1110 am with the cash receipt which assured him that the passport will get dispatched 4 days later giving him adequate time to process the Japanese visa.


Visky’s smooth ride to Tokyo has happened finally. He took off by Japan Air flight last night.
However if one were to think of the means by which he was able to achieve the smooth passage one could get into a debate of ethical and unethical ways of doing things.


The deplorable part of this factual story is that, every day our public service system is being used and twisted by our own people. It is simply mind boggling to note that the human resource system in all the public offices of our country has been hacked, right from the security guard to the highest sanctioning authority (in this case the passport office). The question is when will we see change ? When we will say to no to corruption ?

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