Mumbai
What if Mumbai gets a Santa to fulfil its unique wishes? We nudge a few Mumbaikars to let us peek into their wish lists for Mumbai this Christmas
Updated : Dec 19, 2014, 08:20 PM IST
1. Since it is Christmas time, I wish Santa would plant more trees across Mumbai and give us a beautiful and pollution-free environment. I also wish he would remove all the unhygienic and unhealthy problems faced by Mumbaikars.
—Komal Gurbani, 27, Malad resident
2. As clichéd as it may sound, my wish and hope for this (and every) Christmas hereafter is that we start valuing this beautiful city of ours—aspects of sanitation, resource preservation, beautification and respect for its inhabitants (especially women). I earnestly hope the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan gains momentum in the year to follow. And may love, hope and the quintessential never-say-die spirit continue to prevail in the heart of every true-blue Mumbaikar.
—Sheetal Rajpal, 34, Goregaon resident
3. For the city, I want Santa to use a magic wand and remove all the potholes. Mumbai is plagued with terrible infrastructure so a robust infrastructure will resolve much of the city's problems. Also, Mumbaikars will not hate the rains once they get decent roads!
—Niki Mistry, 24, Kandivali resident
4. I wish Mumbai were blessed with snow, carols and an awesome next year. On a serious note, it's sad to see potholes on roads, which make the traffic situation worse. I wish Santa would relieve us from the daily stress of travel so that we can go back home and enjoy precious time with our family, instead of wasting it in traffic.
—Tanaya Talwar, 25, Bandra resident
5. I would ask Santa to enable Mumbaikars to think beyond religion and region. The city has been a victim of communal and regional politics and the only ones to suffer are people like us. It is high time that we sensitise and sanitise our thoughts and let humanity be the driving force behind Mumbai.
—Rounak Guharoy, 28, Bandra resident
6. This cold Christmas, Santa needs to shower the Mumbai police, cabbies and autorickshaw wallas with warm food and warm sweaters that say, "MERRY CHRISTMAS" for their hard work and helpfulness. Because of them, the partygoers can have a merry time and reach home safely.
—Donato Pavrey, 25, Santacruz resident
7. One thing that I would like Santa to change this Christmas would be the food scene in the city. Thanks to the many international favourites opening in Mumbai, the city is already on its way to becoming a good central hub for food, but I want Santa to highlight the hidden gems—the small, local joints that serve lip-smacking food that Mumbai already owns. This will definitely make Mumbaikars fall in love with the city all over again!
—Vignesh Nair, 25, Andheri resident
8. I'd like Santa to gift Mumbai clean air and better infrastructure. Currently, the air is extremely polluted and the roads are dug up almost everywhere, making it difficult to move from Point A to Point B. If this is rectified, it'll be a great Christmas gift.
—Ryan Jude, 25, Parel resident
9. Bombay is a grand city that graciously hosts scores of people from across the country and abroad. However, there's an abysmal lack of accountability amongst most of us who belong to this metropolis. We don't speak up for certain acts of misdemeanor. For instance, if a person litters the railway tracks, most of us would rather keep quiet than suggest that she hold on to the garbage and throw it into a bin once she has alighted from the train. So, all of us need to become accountable about matters related to our city.
—Ushamrita Choudhury, 28, Powai resident
10. I want Santa to give me a safe city, one where we can all walk freely without the fear of who is walking behind us...where our children can play freely without fearing any attack and where one can live life without any inhibition and fear!
—Trinissa D'Cruz, 33, Wadala resident
11. Dear Santa, could you come riding on your sleigh and clean up the streets, telling the people of my city the why's, dos and don'ts of keeping our surroundings clean? That will be the best present for Mumbai. Ho...ho...ho!
—Walsa Sadarangani, 61, Dadar resident
12. I wish Santa could help give us better infrastructure and lessen the pollution (noise, air, water and even light). Apart from these, I wish Santa would give us the biggest gift of all: calmer lives and happier people.
—Vanessa Rebello, 25, Mahim resident
13. I'd request Santa to tackle corruption with a war footing! If the government puts in as much effort to set up a system that deals with corruption as they have with the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, there's a possibility of things changing drastically in the city and the country.
—Omkar Hatalkar, 29, Mahim resident
14. I would want Santa to gift Mumbai an amazing and upgraded water transport system. This will save us from traffic woes and dug-up roads. Also, I'd like some more fun places to hang out at and this awesome weather to continue throughout the year.
—Batul M Munim, 32, Mazgaon resident
15. I want Santa to put in an extensive network of metro and subway trains, which can cover every area of the city. Our central, western and harbour lines have served way beyond their call of duty and Mumbaikars deserve better than travelling in life-threatening ways. I'd also like a vibrant city centre, which can double up as a walking street and become a cultural hub.
—Rishabh Chaturvedi, 30, Nepean Sea Road resident
16. Christmas is around the corner and we all want something from our favourite Santa. This time, however, I would ask him to curb inflation in Mumbai as I feel that it's the root cause of all our problems. With the prices for everything falling down, people automatically will be able to buy gifts for each other, ultimately making everyone around them happy!
—Kirti Pujari, 27, Worli resident