In an exclusive interview with Ameya Bhise, noted scientist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr RK Pachauri talks about the city’s land scarcity and the possible solutions
Does Mumbai need reclamation?
The city needs space and I see nothing wrong with going in for reclamation. It’s important, however, that the reclamation is done in a manner that doesn’t create any further environmental problems. Reclamation should give you a firm basis for development.
In other words, it has to be done with some degree of care and according to a plan. If these things are followed, then I think it is perfectly valid to go in for reclamation. It isn’t something new; several cities in the world have done it with success.
But Mumbai can’t forget the 26/7 deluge. Do you really think that reclamation can be a successful policy for the city?
What you have raised is an important point. The city planners will have to create better infrastructure. There will have to be proper roads and drainage facilities.
You also have to ensure the proportion of land area and land use is sustainable and environmentally friendly. All these pre-requisites are necessary before reclamation can work as a long-term policy. If these are not in place, then obviously reclamation will not work.
What is the reclamation model that Mumbai should follow?
If we want to go ahead and reclaim on a large scale in Mumbai, we should study what other cities – Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, to name a few – have done carefully because they have been successful at it.
We have to come up with a scheme and an approach for reclamation that should be standardised and become the benchmark.
What is the one important factor that planners have ignored in Mumbai?
One important factor that has to be taken into account while reclaiming is the issue of sea level rise.
If there is an area that is going to be reclaimed and there will be buildings constructed on it, then those buildings must be able to stand for the next 100 years, at least.
So, let us assume that after 100 years, or say by the end of this century, we have projected that the sea level rise could be anywhere between 18cms to 59cms. If we have to plan for that, then whatever reclamation is carried out must take this factor into account.
Dr RK Pachauri is director-general, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and chairman of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
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