Mumbai is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. This city was formerly known as Bombay. Mumbai is the second most populous city in the world. The population of Mumbai is approximately 14 million. Mumbai is the richest city in India and has the highest GDP of any city in South or Central Asia. Although this city seems great, it has its downfalls. Mumbai has some major issues. These issues include problems with the slums, transportation, air pollution, and crime.
As portrayed in the 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire, Mumbai is home to one of Asia's largest slums- Dharavi. Here as many as 18,000 people crowd into a single acre. Almost half of Mumbai's population reside in these slums or chawls. The conditions in these slums are horrible because the inhabitants have to face constant migration, lack of water, pollution, and no sewage or waste disposals. During monsoon seasons, most of the slums become flooded with water.
Attempts have been made to alleviate these slums. The World Bank has funded the development of 176 Primary Care Dispensaries, but these efforts are underused as result of the insufficient water supply. In 1985, the government tried relieve the slum problem by passing the Slum Upgradation Project. The goals of this project was to offer people long-term legal plot tenure if they invested in home ownership. However, only 10% of the slum inhabitants could actually afford this and so, the project was unsuccessful. As of today, slums are still highly prominent. Some people have even begun to nickname Mumbai as “Slumbay”.
Modeled after London’s transportation system, Mumbai developed a similar network of transportation starting with the tram system in 1870. Since then, Mumbai created a variety of upgraded modes of transportation including roads, public buses, and railroad carriers. However, because most residents of Mumbai cannot afford a personal automobile, they opt to ride the bus or the train.
The average distance of a commute is nearly one-third of the entire length of Mumbai because the Central Business District is located on the South part of the island disconnected from the residential Northern region. The East and West Highways run North and South along the island and can support up to 6.2 million passengers per day. The roads of Mumbai are plagued by non-transportation obstacles such as the chawls, or slums, and are considered a slow alternative to mass transportation. The bus systems of Mumbai are all privately owned, but the most used company is BEST which transports around 5 million people per day. Mass commutes on buses only contribute to the already growing pollution problem in Mumbai.
The railroads follow the same path as the highways, but face a much more serious problem as the number of passengers has increased five-fold between 1959 and 1989. Overcrowded trains and train stations are becoming more inefficient and dangerous as the number of passengers continue to rise.
In recent years, the MUTP (Mumbai Urban Transportation Project) have implemented many costly upgrades to their transportation system. Unfortunately, they don’t have much to show for it. Transportation in Mumbai is still abominable mainly because it isn’t centralized. A city-run government transportation agency would make progress much more achievable. An underground metro is in the works, however trains will maintain the bulk of the work until the metro is complete.
References:
http://www.macalester.edu/courses/geog61/espencer/transportation.html
http://mumbaimatters.bombayaddict.com/2006/08/mutp-mumbais-unending-transport.html
According to the World Health Organization, Mumbai ranks as one of the world’s most polluted cities. Other polluted cities in India are Kolkata and Delhi. Many people have migrated to Mumbai since it is considered the commercial capital of India. Currently, the population of Mumbai is over 18 million people. Emissions from cars and industrial facilities have resulted in increased air pollution. Mumbai is located near the biggest chemical industry region in Asia. As a result of being located near many industrial plants, Mumbai is exposed to a large amount of carcinogenic and toxic chemicals. Bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders are common diseases found in Mumbai. Industries that release high amounts of air pollution include pharmaceutical, engineering, and textile plants. Other contributors to the high levels of air pollution include garbage burning and lax emission standards for vehicles. The last major cause of air pollution is the smoke released from fireworks during Diwali celebrations. Fireworks release high levels of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide.
There are several initiatives being taken to reduce Mumbai’s air pollution. For example, a new monorail system will open in 2011. This will relieve traffic congestion and lower harmful carbon emissions. Wind energy is another option to reduce air pollution. Mumbai is a prime candidate for wind turbines because it has a long coastline. Moreover, coastal wind turbines have minimal installation costs, emit little pollution, and can produce a considerable amount of energy.
