Drowning in urban blunders

Rains and its accompanying troubles have become unceasing experiences of déjà vu for Mumbaikars. The past week has been another recap of the same old story. A few hours of incessant rainfall and the city came to a standstill. Railways stopped functioning on a working day amid the festive season, old and new destinations got waterlogged, autos and taxis, fearing malfunction, refused to budge and the city was orphaned for the nth time. The municipal body is sitting pretty on a Rs 30,692-crore budget that it passed early this year. Yet, the city found itself wanting for an advanced and strong storm water drainage disposal technique. Mumbai has over 300 km of metro line work in progress and the state is eyeing a trillion-dollar economy. But a good spell of showers brings the commercial capital to its knees and shatters its dreams of becoming an international financial centre. This week, DNA's Samwad talks to urban planners, transport experts, environmentalists, and common, hapless Mumbaikars about the rain conundrum.

Dr Neville A Mehta, CEO, Mumbai First

Monsoons are arguably my favourite season, especially in Mumbai. I gaze over lush gardens, colourful raincoats and umbrellas, take in the scent of the earth, and blend into the ceaseless hustle in the streets. However, there is more to the monsoons here. Floods wash over land and livelihoods, while pothole and railway accidents threaten our lives. The contrast is abrupt and striking.

With every New Year, we notice that the contrast only grows more prominent. The flooding worsens, the potholes grow in size and more people are adversely impacted. Yet, you see more colourful umbrellas and even more people go about their days as if the rain caused only a minuscule disturbance. Does that then mean that despite the growing problems, it is up to the people of Mumbai to adjust to the inevitable destruction of the monsoons? Where lies the responsibility of improved circumstance?

India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. As a country, despite being a developing one, we have the capability to launch satellites to the far side of the moon when so many of the developed nations do not. Its financial capital, Mumbai, the most productive metropolitan region in India and the 12th wealthiest city globally, is home to a population of more than 1.8 crore people.

What would one expect from the 12th wealthiest city in the world? I, simply put, would expect a high level of liveability. Instead, we have a hoard of persistent perennial problems like the flooding of the Mithi River, the worsening state of roads, the falling infrastructure and more. But why? Where lies the problem and in whom lies the responsibility?

Not to mention the anticipated problems over the next few years. For example, climate change and its impact are considered, inevitable and sea levels will rise. We are not a city that can turn a blind eye. The increase in sea levels, where Mumbai is concerned, will not mean merely a smaller coastline — we are the coastline. So when flooding continues to worsen year after year, who holds the accountability?

I do not harbour the belief that the problems Mumbai faces are easily fixable. But there are some ways that we can begin making it more liveable. In fact, I believe that the responsibility to better Mumbai is two-fold.

The government, and their role, inevitably cannot be denied. To better Mumbai, they will need to identify problems using both macro and micro lenses, look for possible high-impact solutions, implementation strategies and evaluation policies to see which solutions hold the most merit. For this, however, work to solve these problems needs to commence well in advance to the anticipated problem. For example, transportation and mobility issues that will accompany the building of a new commercial tower in a lane with small streets will need to be anticipated in advance and mitigated. By looking at the larger picture, non-interfering solutions can and need to be put in place.

But, it is the people, whether we wish to accept the fact or not, that have a large role to play. We, the people cannot throw garbage on the roads and then question the government when an area floods. We cannot dig holes for pandals and expect the filling of the pandal to be the government's job. We cannot complain about traffic congestion and simultaneously park wherever we please. Our role would be to respect the efforts of the government and play an active role when called upon. We need to acknowledge that we are not a city that makes profits on the misery of its residents and that we will treat the city with the same respect that we treat guests in our homes.
Every time we think of this great city, let us ask ourselves, "What advancement will the next monsoons hold?"

BN Kumar, Director, The Nature Connect

A wake-up call has been sounded for Mumbaikars. Wednesday's flooding has yet again proved that the city has grown beyond its capacity, where people in charge of urban planning, infrastructure-development do not care about the environment. Planning isn't focused on the future but only on the next five years.

Urban planners need basic education on how to take care of the environment. There is a misconception that environment conservationists always oppose infrastructure development. However, let me make it amply clear that we are for infrastructure development but while doing so, we must take care of our ecosystem too. No infrastructure-development should take place at the cost of the natural world.

Where there is a river, there should be a River Regulatory Zone (RRZ) to give it space to flow properly in times of floods. If you cover that area, the floodwater will find its own course and will come for you. In Badlapur and Kalyan, which witnessed floods this year, the RRZ is covered with a concrete jungle.

In case of Mithi river, now the civic authorities are planning to have holding ponds — which is a quite primitive idea. Thirty years ago, if it was planned in Navi Mumbai, then why could it not be done in Mumbai? The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which controls Navi Mumbai, could have raised holding ponds in Mumbai long back. In view of the development around Mithi river, the water will find its own course.

For the bullet train, 54,000 mangroves, which cover an area equivalent to five-and-a-half times that of Azad Maidan, are being destroyed. I feel that the authorities consider mangroves to be just regular grass and have forgotten that they protect cities. Having these buffers which protect us from tidal water attacks and tidal water flows is much cheaper than rainwater forests and the holding ponds and tetrapods.

The government wants to destroy mangroves and replant five times what will be destroyed. But where? Replantation of mangroves is a scam. When the government replants them, they do it wherever they like, including in rocky areas. In Charkop, mangroves were planted on a rocky area where they did not survive. In Bhandup, authorities spray water on mangroves as if it is a BMC garden in Malabar Hill or Worli. You do not plant mangroves. Mangroves survive and thrive only on tidal water, on marshy land and not in rocky areas. Lakhs and lakhs of rupees are going down the drain. This racket must be thoroughly investigated.

Further, the concrete jungle of Mumbai leaves no space for rainwater to flow. There is no rainwater harvesting mechanism even though it is a must for every building. It can save at least 25% of rainwater and can recharge groundwater reserves. This is something we should learn from Bangalore.

Salt pans are essential for water to accumulate. Mumbai will sink and go down the drain if the authorities start covering salt pans and wetlands. The July 26 floods were just a trailer. There will be more serious disasters.

This city must be declared a no-development zone and further development should be allowed only beyond Mumbai as there is land available in Kalyan, Vasai, Mira Road, and other towns. The authorities should not bypass carrying out the environment-impact assessment, which is a must before going for any development project.

The city is bursting. Its future planning cannot sideline the environment.

Kheyali Bose, 33, Faculty Manager,

On Wednesday morning, I left my home in Ulhasnagar for office in Santacruz. It took me a little while extra because of rains to reach office. If everything is on track, that is if trains are on time, it takes me close to an hour-and-a-half to reach my workplace.

At work, I came to know that the Central Line is flooded. Worried that the trains will stop running soon, I left from work at 12.30 pm, thinking I've left early enough to be home by late afternoon. However, as my train started crawling after Bandra, it was only at 4:30 that I reached Dadar.

I believed that the worst was over. Little did I know that my troubles had just begun. Dadar was severely overcrowded and the mass was continuing to swell. Everyone was desperate to get home. All trains were being terminated at Thane and we had no option but to wait at the station. It was pouring heavily and there was no way to go.

My colleagues and I decided to go to the waiting room. There tea and biscuits available. Even then I believed I'd reach home before midnight. But with every passing minute, things were turning bad. I couldn't imagine staying at the station.

There was an announcement that food is being served at the waiting room, but the queue was neverending. We then ventured outside. Fortunately, just as we were wondering where to spend the night, another colleague of mine called and said he had arranged for a place for all of us to spend the night. We finally found safety and shelter.

But one thing that wouldn't stop disturbing me was — how and why did I find myself in such an insecure position? What was the government and the administration that is supposed to prevent such disasters, doing? For example, when tracks start flooding, more pumps need to be pressed into service. I am aware that the Railways have pumps to remove water from tracks but clearly the current infrastructure is not enough.

Already my friends are getting rejected from jobs as companies do not want to hire those who stay in far-flung suburbs. Because even small showers bring the trains to a standstill.

We have been asking the government that the infrastructure in cities needs special preference. Otherwise, people staying in extended suburbs such as Kalyan, Ulhasnagar and beyond will not even have jobs.

I hope the government acts before we all are rendered jobless.

Prachi Pandit, 25, lawyer

I am a corporate lawyer from Prabhadevi, working in Lower Parel. It is very difficult for me to commute especially on rainy days. I have to report to work at 10:30 am, and they are very strict about timings and expect punctuality.
On Wednesday, I had been waiting for a taxi from 10:30 am but no one was ready to take me to One India Bulls. I managed to get a cab only at 1:30 pm and reached office at 2:00 pm. Some of my colleagues could not make it as the trains were shut and had to return home.

On the other hand, those who did manage to reach work and had come from areas such as Malad, Borivali, etc. got stuck and were forced to stay overnight at the office. They could not even order food as all food delivery apps were non-functional. People had to manage with whatever little was available in the office premises.

I am fortunate enough to stay in Prabhadevi but when it was time to go home, I had to walk all the way in the heavy rain. By the time I reached, I was soaking wet.

I was scared for some of my colleagues whom I could not reach on phone. Those who reached home did so having braved the rain and traffic. When a financial giant like One India Bulls has to close down for a day, imagine the amount of loss the company must have had to face.

The entire year the BMC and Maharashtra government speak about the development of of the state, or in this matter, Mumbai. They come up with different policies and infrastructure plans, but when it comes to protecting the city and its people against the rain, nothing has been done. Year after year, people are suffering and companies have to suspend operations. They have absolutely no control over the situation and they need to start doing something about it.

People have lost lives because of poor management. Mumbai is called 'the city of dreams' and it's high time that the government steps up to prevent the entire city from shutting down.

The government talks about making India a one-trillion-dollar economy. How will they do it if the rain is disrupting our businesses every now and then? Mumbai is the financial capital of India and therefore, it is very important for the government to stabilise the economy for uninterrupted growth. If the financial capital is in lockdown then the GDP will automatically go down, further weakening our currency against the dollar. The government fails to look at the bigger picture, which makes India remain a developing nation.

AV Shenoy, Transport Planner, Mumbai Mobility Forum

Mumbai needs a war room to fight disasters which are leaving its transport system limping. Wednesday's rains reminded people of 26/7. No doubt the local trains sprung back but we need a long-term solution.

The first thing that the state government should do is create a war room where heads of different agencies such as BMC, Railways, MMRDA, BEST, and others responsible for public transport can come together. This should also include representatives of the auto-rickshaws, mobile aggregators and cabs. Something like a 'Central Disaster Control Centre for Transportation' consisting of designated officials from all transport agencies.

At present, all of them work in silos. They make decisions without understanding their repercussions on other agencies tackling the same disaster. There is a need for better coordination among these agencies and improved communication with the people using public transport. Information about disruptions should be directly available on people's mobile phones. Perhaps something like a Google map showing flooded spots, areas with maximum impact of disaster, locations where alternate transportation is available. Presently, people get half-baked information from media which is not realtime. Moreover, such a centre will help speed up taking holistic decisions.

The present system for the island city is designed to handle 2-inches rain per hour and 1.0 run-off coefficient. Also, the pumping stations have been able to take care of most of city, except for one or two spots such as Hindmata and Kings Circle. Suburbs, on the other hand, are now more vulnerable due to uncontrolled development without proper augmentation of stormwater drains. Both western and eastern suburbs are dependent on rivers — which have now become wide nullahs — for smooth flow of water right till the Arabian Sea.

The suburbs are unable to cope with a higher flow of rainwater as there is no percolation of water in the ground due to concreting and blocking of natural waterways. Over the past 20 years, the suburbs have grown exponentially.

Open plots have been covered with tall buildings and there is no space for seepage of water. Whenever the rivers choke, it floods the land, bringing the city to a grinding halt. The government must conduct a detailed hydraulic study for solutions to the inadequate drainage system for the next 50 years.

With a wide network of metro rail being constructed, it will only attract population. And thus higher, taller buildings for housing will come up, utilising every little space left. The government needs to be strict about unauthorised construction on lands abutting railway lines or anywhere else. The elevated and underground metros may keep running but it must be ensured that stations do not get flooded. Lastly, as an ultimate solution, Mumbai must have a CEO to govern it and manage all agencies.

Shishir Joshi, CEO and Founder, Project Mumbai

The Municipal Corporation has for long taken the resilience of the citizens for granted. It almost seems that they are not in touch with ground realities. The trust deficit with the BMC has widened and efforts from the Municipal Corporation have been far and few to bridge that. This is compounded with a very weak communication effort from the corporation. Hence, even if the corporation does some good things, they don't reach the masses in an intended manner. There are three things that need to be resolved on priority.

On a lighter note, if key officers of the Municipal Corporation living in far-flung suburbs instead of South Mumbai, which is minutes away from their workplace, and are made to commute the way an average Mumbaikar does, the city may get a facelift faster than we expect. There is also an urgent need to increase consultative processes and have more trust in civil society, especially on matters that directly impact people. Such informed discussions and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) form of decision making in key initiatives can avert many uncomfortable situations.

There are several positive steps being taken in the area of mobility and ease of traffic. Similarly, good steps are being taken to involve citizen groups to maintain gardens and open spaces. If every department starts creating such innovation groups, inviting small citizen bodies to come up with ideas across the table, we may see a very collaborative process emerge. As far as the reputation of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) in maintaining the city's roads is concerned, the less said the better. If we still see roads being repaired day in and day out, we need some whips to be cracked and some heads to be rolled. Accountability and transparency are still alien words which need to be introduced in the roads and repairs department.

Yes, Mumbai is a coastal city and it is agreeable that we cannot battle nature's fury when it is at it's worst. But here we are referring to the country's premier city and commercial capital. Year after year we see the same spots continue to instill fear in people's mind. Precious manhours are lost. Are we trying to say that we do not have enough bright minds to solve these problems once and for all?

This is also linked to the way the city is governed. It is high time the city stops being governed politically and elects an empowered mayor.

If we set the environmental concerns aside for a while, the vast investment is surely going to save a lot of time in public transport. The transport time if not altered to 'kuch miniton mein' will surely be faster than earlier.

This is the only space where we see the glass half-full. Otherwise, Mumbai from any angle, appears a city which is 'Work in Progress; Inconvenience Regretted.'