Mumbai Matters

Black Friday, never forget

2010-03-12T13:30:00.000+05:30

Blast 1 - 1.28pm - The Bombay Stock Exchange. 84 dead, 217 injured.

Blast 2 - 2.15pm - Narsi Natha Street. 5 dead, 16 injured.

Blast 3 - 2.25pm - Air India Building. 20 dead, 87 injured.

Blast 4 - 2.30pm - Lucky Petrol Pump, Dadar. 4 dead, 50 injured.

Blast 5 - 2.55pm - Century Bazaar. 113 dead, 227 inured.

Blast 6 - 3.05pm - Zaveri Bazaar. 17 dead, 57 injured.

Blast 7 - 3.13pm - Plaza Cinema, Dadar. 10 dead, 37 injured.

Blast 8 - 3.20pm - Sea Rock Hotel, Bandra. No one dead or injured.

Blast 9 - 3.25pm - Juhu Centaur Hotel. 3 injured

Blast 10 - 3.35pm - Airport Centaur Hotel. 2 killed, 8 injured.

"Subsequent police investigations revealed that 257 people were either killed or went missing in the blasts while 713 were injured."

Dawood Ibrahim, the main accused, is still at large.

26/11 Never Forget

2009-11-25T21:47:00.001+05:30

26th November 2008: 172 dead as under. [Source]

CST: 58

Nariman House: 9 (includes 2 terrorists, 1 Marine Commando)

Oberoi: 32 (includes 2 terrorists, 10 staff)

Taj: 33 (includes 4 terrorists, 11 staff, 1 NSG Commando)

Cafe Leopold: 10 (includes 2 staff)

Girgaum Chowpatty: 2 (one terrorist, one policeman)

Cama & Albless: 8 (includes 6 policemen)

Metro: 1 (policeman)

Vile Parle: 2

Dockyard Road: 3

7/11 Never Forget

2009-07-11T12:28:00.003+05:30

6.24pm Khar Road - Santacruz
6.24pm Bandra - Khar Road
6.25pm Platform 1, Jogeshwari
6.26pm Platform 3, Mahim
6.29pm Mira Road - Bhayandar
6.30pm Matunga Road - Mahim Junction
6.35pm Platform 4, Borivali
(Source)

11 minutes
7 blasts
186 dead
544 seriously injured
312 suffered minor injuries
(Source)

The families of blast victims Parag Sawant and Amit Singh who lie in coma to this date, haven't forgotten. And neither should we.

Bandra Worli Sealink Now Open

2009-07-01T12:38:00.006+05:30

46 years after first being conceived and many years spent in delay, the BWSL is finally open to public. I drove there today morning and had the following observations:

- Despite being touted as an 8-lane road, the BWSL only consists of 4-lanes as of now. In fact, construction of the other 4 lanes is far from being complete as this photo of the exit at Worli clearly shows.

- Cranes are still there on the Central Tower and the two smaller towers. Work is obviously in progress here.

- Dispersal at Worli will remain a problem. Today, we had to go to the opposite end of Worli Sea Face road to take a U-turn and drive back to South Mumbai. Hopefully this arrangement is only for today and there will be a direct right turn at the exit point itself.

- Keeping the speed limit at 50kmph pretty much kills the point of such a bridge. Doubt it will be adhered to.

- Without a Worli-Haji Ali-Nariman Point link, this is just one part of the Western Freeway project. It will only benefit those who live/work around Bandra/Worli. For everyone else, they will only move faster from one traffic jam to another.

But for whatever it's worth, this is a significant event in Mumbai's creaking infrastructure saga. 3 photos below show the journey to this road.

Electoral rolls for Maharashtra State Elections 2009

2009-05-27T11:30:00.006+05:30

Electoral rolls are already being prepared by the Maharashtra State Election Commission. I had a couple of EC officials come home (and visit our road) checking the rolls for any corrections. If you missed out on the recent Lok Sabha Elections, do ensure your name is there on the electoral rolls for the State Elections, due in September.

You can check out the Chief Electoral Officer's website to see, online, if your name is included or not. If not, then there is still time to get your name included. If these officials can slog on a hot, Mumbai afternoon to ensure the rolls are accurate, surely you can do your part by voting on the day that counts.

12th March 1993, never forget

2009-03-12T16:12:00.002+05:30

Friday, 12th March 1993.

Blast 1 - 1.28pm - The Bombay Stock Exchange. 84 dead, 217 injured.

Blast 2 - 2.15pm - Narsi Natha Street. 5 dead, 16 injured.

Blast 3 - 2.25pm - Air India Building. 20 dead, 87 injured.

Blast 4 - 2.30pm - Lucky Petrol Pump, Dadar. 4 dead, 50 injured.

Blast 5 - 2.55pm - Century Bazaar. 113 dead, 227 injured.

Blast 6 - 3.05pm - Zaveri Bazaar. 17 dead, 57 injured.

Blast 7 - 3.13pm - Plaza Cinema, Dadar. 10 dead, 37 injured.

Blast 8 - 3.20pm - Sea Rock Hotel, Bandra. No one dead or injured.

Blast 9 - 3.25pm - Juhu Centaur Hotel. 3 injured

Blast 10 - 3.35pm - Airport Centaur Hotel. 2 killed, 8 injured.

"Subsequent police investigations revealed that 257 people were either killed or went missing in the blasts while 713 were injured."

Dawood Ibrahim, the main accused, is still at large.

Mumbai Voter Registration

2009-01-05T20:13:00.004+05:30

India's General Elections as well as Maharashtra's State Assembly Elections will be held later this year (most likely April/May for the General Elections and Sept/Oct for the State Elections). The schedule has yet to be announced so rest assured you can still get registered to vote.

In the past I had posted on how to get your Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC). However, it seems the task has proven to be a difficult one going by the comments I received there.

But now there is a simple solution. Just go to Jaagore and follow their step-by-step instructions. I've heard so many success stories of the fine effort they are doing, that really it is the one stop-shop to get registered and vote this year.

So, what are you waiting for? Click here and Jaago re!

2009 - The Year of the Mumbaikar

2009-01-01T18:51:00.006+05:30

The Congress has ruled Maharashtra for a decade now, with the last five years being shared with Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The general impression is that they haven't done anything for Mumbai - a view that's quite obvious and perhaps glaring when one looks at how much Delhi has achieved under the same political party in the last decade.

However, to be fair to the Congress, the last couple of years has probably seen more infrastructure progress in Mumbai than any other year in the past. Phase 1 of the Mumbai Metro, the Bandra Sea Link and the MMRDA's various initiatives under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project have all happened in the Congress-NCP tenure. These are clear visible projects that can be seen on the ground, unlike, say, ambitious stuff like the Haji Ali-Nariman Point Sea Link, Phase II of the Metro, etc. etc. - all of which are still on paper.

On the real estate side, the ULCRA was repealed and a housing policy was formulated. Sure, they did nothing for real estate prices or affordable housing but at least there is a move towards transparency in a sector known for it's notoriety. Add smaller projects like the skywalks and a slew of flyovers and one can at least say that the Congress-NCP has done more for Mumbai than the Shiv Sena Government of 1995-1999.

And then there was 26/11. And the deafening silence throughout the Raj Thackeray fiasco. The Congress-NCP Government deserves to be sacked in it's entirety for both these incidents. No Mumbaikar would want to see any politician from either of these parties hold office after their abject failure at the most basic issue - keeping Mumbai safe. What point is development and infrastructure when the city is no longer 'safe'?

Which makes this question the most important one for 2009. Who will you vote for in the Maharashtra State Elections to be held this year?

That is the biggest question for every Mumbaikar in this new year as the state goes to elections.

Here are some of my thoughts on the key political parties in Mumbai:

1. Congress-NCP: Currently, the Congress-NCP combine seems to be stable. The resignations post 26/11 seemed to indicate that the Sharad Pawar-Sonia Gandhi balance, even if it teetered (as was seen in the interminable delay in the choice of CM), ultimately found common ground. R. R. Patil's dismissal was met with Vilasrao's Deshmukh's ouster. And Narayan Rane was - hopefully - despatched to oblivion.

2. Shiv Sena + BSP?: A recent Mumbai Mirror article indicates that Shiv Sena could be tying up with Mayawati. If this is true it might prove one thing - Raj Thackeray has succeeded in spooking his ex-party, to the extent that it would even consider dumping the BJP. But then a lot has changed between the BJP-Sena after the tragic death of the BJP's Pramod Mahajan. While Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari have done their bit to keep relations intact with Bal Thackeray, no one can predict what Senior Thackeray, or even Uddhav, will do. The 2007 BMC victory seems far away now after Raj Thackeray. So, one thing is sure - this is the make or break election for the Shiv Sena. In that situation would the Sena risk it's fortunes with Mayawati?

3. Can the BJP go it alone? The recent campaign featuring Poonam Mahajan (photo below) did not feature Shiv Sena at all.

The BJP hasn't gained anything from it's tie-up with the Sena in Maharashtra. What would it gain if it dumps the Sena and goes it alone? An image makeover for one. And more vote-share for another. But will it take that gamble? Remember, the BJP is gaining ground in states where it had no presence (Karnataka and J&K to name a few). So, would it be better off losing the election, but gaining votes and readying to take on the Congress more directly in the future? or sticking with a partner that has been seriously undermined?

4. Raj Thackeray: One hopes that he finds his place with Narayan Rane in the footnotes of Mumbai's history. Thankfully, the press is also giving him much lesser coverage. Yet, one cannot rule out some antics from him in this election year. Having turned public anger against the Congress and the Marathi Manoos attention from the Shiv Sena he achieved what he wanted. What next? Will he go it alone? For sure, any party that sides with him won't be winning any popularity.

5. Outsiders: Will ordinary Mumbaikars stand for elections? And win? I'm leaving this one open for now.

Politics makes for strange bedfellows. And as the state and general elections come closer in 2009, there will be many politicians jumping beds. Equations will change before they become stable.

I firmly believe that this will be the year of the Mumbaikar. The year in which he gets his say for the MPs he sends to the Parliament and the MLAs he elects in the State Assembly. After five long years, he gets his chance to talk. And this is the only time the politicians will listen.

I hope he thinks for a long time before he chooses his vote. But more than that I hope he votes. This is the one moment when one small dot on his finger changes the fate of his city for the next five years.

Another date added

2008-11-30T19:58:00.004+05:30

26th November 2008: ~~192 (so far)~~ (the 192 number was picked up from here)

26th November 2008: 172 as under. [Source]
CST: 58
Nariman House: 9 (includes 2 terrorists, 1 Marine Commando)
Oberoi: 32 (includes 2 terrorists, 10 staff)
Taj: 33 (includes 4 terrorists, 11 staff, 1 NSG Commando)
Cafe Leopold: 10 (includes 2 staff)
Girgaum Chowpatty: 2 (one terrorist, one policeman)
Cama & Albless: 8 (includes 6 policemen)
Metro: 1 (policeman)
Vile Parle: 2
Dockyard Road: 3

Added to these
12th March 1993: 257 [Source]
11th July 2006: 186 [Source]

For the record there are more: (Chronology in part here)

December 2 2002: 2 killed (Bus outside Ghatkopar Railway Station) [Source]

December 6 2002: 25 injured (McDonald's in Mumbai Central Railway Station)
[Source]

January 27, 2003: 30 injured (Vile Parle Railway Station) [Source]

March 13, 2003: 11 dead (bogie of a local train at Mulund Railway Station) [Source]

July 28, 2003: 4 killed (BEST bus near Ghatkopar Railway Station) [Source]

August 25, 2003: 52 dead (Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar)
[Source]

This blog goes on a break

2008-07-18T12:55:00.002+05:30

Posting has dropped as I'm constrained badly for time. I hope to be back soon. Much is happening in the city, most of it bad.

11th July 2006: Never Forget

2008-07-11T21:07:00.002+05:30

6.24pm Khar Road - Santacruz
6.24pm Bandra - Khar Road
6.25pm Platform 1, Jogeshwari
6.26pm Platform 3, Mahim
6.29pm Mira Road - Bhayandar
6.30pm Matunga Road - Mahim Junction
6.35pm Platform 4, Borivali
(Source)

11 minutes
7 blasts
186 dead
544 seriously injured
312 suffered minor injuries
(Source)

Among many others, Dipesh Tank can never forget. And neither should we.

Replies to comments on Mumbai real estate

2008-06-21T12:42:00.004+05:30

I didn't expect so many comments on my earlier post. And since most of these are detailed comments, it makes better sense if I post my replies here.

Prakash: Thanks for the comment, I agree with most of the points you mentioned.

Realty Rider: My post isn't about Mumbai's potential. And none of the projects you mentioned have been 'successfuly completed'. From what I hear retail (mall) space is being converted to commercial, not the other way around. Thanks for the comment.

Lekhni: Thanks for such a detailed comment. Here are my views on each of the points you raised.

1. The level of buying from speculators/investors in Mumbai's real estate market has crashed, and this isn't a new phenomena. A decline of interest from these speculators/investors, has been happening for the last six to nine months. That's the reason why transactions have taken a hit.

I agree with you when you say that an external shock might drive investors (who have been waiting it out) to sell - in fact, I even mentioned it point #5. Now whether that shock is in the form of a US recession or something else is a different matter. I mean, a shock in the form of a US recession will hit many more sectors (not just in Mumbai but in other countries, most notably US itself!) so real estate is bound to be a casualty.

Interestingly enough, since I wrote this post, we've already got a new shock - inflation at 11.05% (thanks to the oil surge - again a global phenomena) and the prospect of a sharp rise in interest rates. Now that should logically impact Mumbai's real estate prices. Let's wait it out and see if it does.

2. I already mentioned this in point #3. And builders haven't 'started throwing in stuff', they've been doing it for almost a year. But like I mentioned, headline rates have not fallen as yet. Sure, your effective cost reduced with these so-called freebies but the impact on your overall cost of purchase isn't huge and prices still remain too high.

3. I never made the point on stock markets financing the real estate bubble. And I can't agree with you that Mumbai's real estate boom has been financed by easy lending. That might be true to a some extent for HNIs and large investors, but not for the majority.

In fact far from it, banks started going slow on mortgages about a year back. This happened after the RBI pointedly took note of the speculation in the real estate sector (Gurgaon and Bangalore being good examples) and then increased risk-weightage on mortgages which made life tougher for banks - some of which had indeed gone over-aggressive on home loans. (If you know anyone in ICICI Bank ask them why they drastically cut/transferred their staff from their mortgages division).

The RBI woke up to the asset bubble in real estate much earlier as compared to the Fed which waited for a crisis to put them in action. Try getting a home loan now in Mumbai 'with little or no documentation' - you might be surprised how difficult it is here from the US - even today ;)

I understand the call you're taking and like I said I'd only be too happy to be proved wrong. In fact from the way things are going (after 11% inflation and a rising interest rate scenario), there might actually be a sense of panic among builders which might drive down prices. And if this does happen, it will not be because of speculation, greed and dodgy lending practices by banks. It will be because inflation drove up interest rates, which in turn stifled India's overall GDP growth - thanks, in no small measure to the oil shock, i.e. an event that affects almost every country in the world and not just the city of Mumbai.

I think both of us are in agreement that Mumbai realty prices will fall. It's just a question of how much and how soon.

Anon - not sure if that has anything to do with my post, but thanks for the comment.

Manoj - Some factual errors in what you said - prices never crashed 50% in the early 90s. They fell 50% from the mid-90s when the RBI raised interest rates (my guess is probably around 1994-95, sometime after 12th Sept 1994 when the stock markets touched an all-time high of 4,643) all the way to about 2002-03 (which annualised is an 8% decline - not exactly a 'crash'). So, as you correctly pointed out real estate typically crashes in slow motion and lasts longer. Will it happen this time? Let's see. For Mumbai prices to go into a similar downward spiral this time for the next 5 years, a lot would have to go wrong - and if that does happen, I think there'll be much more to worry about than just the real estate market. Thanks for the comment and I wish I could make such a handsome return on my investment!

Mumbai real estate: slowdown yes, panic no

2008-06-14T13:35:00.005+05:30

"Many top city builders in dire straits" reads todays TOI front page. Ironically, page 3 carries a full page ad from DB Realty for the tallest building in the suburbs (Rs9,200/psf delivery in 2010). I don’t think Mumbai’s real estate price are crashing anytime soon. Here's why:

1. No Supply in town... Remember everyone saying that opening up of the Mill Lands and the repeal of ULCRA will 'unleash' land? It's not happened. And no one expects it to. There are many mills that have yet to be converted to real estate project. No one knows the status there. As for the lands already converted (Piramal's Ashok Gardens, Marathon, Bombay Dyeing, Lodha Bellissimo, etc. Sheth's Beaumonde), the builders (and owners) are laughing all the way to the banks. Rates in all these projects are upwards of Rs30,000/psf and no, they aren't coming down. If anything, more premium apartments are coming up at even higher rates.

2....And too much in the suburbs: Redevelopment has changed the landscape of western suburbs from Bandra to Santacruz. Even now, construction activity is in full swing as societies yield in to builders. You'd expect this kind of supply to push down prices, right? No chance. Smaller flats (500sqft+) aren’t available because older societies (which have these flats) are hanging on for lucrative redevelopment proposals.

Meanwhile newly constructed/redeveloped buildings only have 3-4BHK whose minimum prices are Rs2cr+. There is an assumption that 2BHKs aren’t required anymore, just like in the past 1BHKs went completely out of fashion.

What’s funny is that fully constructed buildings are lying vacant (drive down Bandra and Khar and you can them dark and empty). Investors have been holding on to these flats for at least 6-9months under the assumption that there will be demand. But there isn’t and even then, rates aren’t falling.

3. Smaller builders under pressure: Newspaper reports suggest that smaller builders are at risk because they’ve borrowed heavily for their projects and now their flats aren’t selling. This is believable, because in some cases these smaller buildings are offering discounts of all forms (more amenities, EMI freeze, etc.). And yet there are other smaller builders who aren’t rushing to fold up.

For example, Chembur Tilak Nagar, a ‘fast-selling’ area because the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road will make access much easier. On the other side of Chembur, Raheja’s Acropolis is selling at Rs8,500/psf, which has emboldened Tilak Nagar builders to demand Rs7,000+/psf. As per local brokers, builders in Tilak Nagar were vegetable vendors once who hit it big thanks to Dy. Minister R. R. Patil. Most buildings don’t even have an occupation certificate (OC), meaning you can’t pull in that flower bed into your house just yet. Most houses in these buildings have completely random layouts. Some of these 4-5year old buildings are already being water-proofed for leakage. So even if a house is cheap in these areas, it comes with risks. And you might not even be able to trace the builder.

4. Big builders stand firm: In Dahisar, Lodha’s premium project –Aqua is selling for Rs5,895/psf with rate hikes happening almost every month. In Kandivali (East), the Lokhandwala’s were charging Rs6,500 and claimed that they would be hiking rates soon. In Goregaon and Malad (East) top-end builders like Raheja and Sheth are holding rates firm at Rs8,000 to Rs9,000. In fact, Rahejas are also asking for a 25% black component in some of their projects.

There are few exceptions. For example in Bhakti Park Wadala (East) where rates were hiked from Rs7,500 (late last year) to Rs8,000 (April this year) now the builder is willing to negotiate. So, even in distant suburbs, going by these rates, there isn’t any sense of a major slowdown or builders rushing to offer attractive bargains.

5. Real estate markets follow the stock markets – NOT!: The stock markets are down 30% this year, but property prices in Mumbai haven’t even fallen 10%. So I don’t buy this argument. Moreover, (a) Mumbai’s property market is much more illiquid so price movements aren’t as quick to fall and (b) Even in the stock markets, there is no sense of panic, i.e. mutual funds aren’t seeing any major redemptions.

However, the first signs of a crack are appearing; news reports suggest that investors who are holding on to their flats (as mentioned in #2) are beginning to undercut builders to sell off their flats. Perhaps, if the stock markets fall further, we might get a clearer picture.

6. Politicians support builders: The aspirations, and achievements, of Mumbai’s politicians in real estate are well known and so is the age-old politician-builder nexus. It is safe to assume that the government will protect builders. Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukhs’ much-publicized housing policy never saw the light of day. No extra land has come in from ULCRA. If anything, the Government has tweaked FSI more in the last few months than it has in the last few years. So the Government’s focus seems to be on keeping a tight leash on supply. Aside: Even Narayan Rane – whose despair for the CM’s seat would make Rakhi Sawant’s publicity stunts look noble – is grabbing whatever land he can in his home suburb of Bandra.

Bottomline: As long as the overall economy does well and wages in Mumbai keep rising at 25% per annum (much, much more in some sectors), demand should logically remain strong. So, while there might be a slowdown in Mumbai's real estate market, builders are still not rushing to slash prices. I'd love to be proved wrong when I say that I do not expect Mumbai's real estate to collapse. But a lot has to happen for that, because I think there will always be demand at lower levels. The question of course is how low.

For rates to reach their 2002-03 levels, they would have to fall 60%+. Improbable, but not impossible. And given the currently inflated level, a 20% fall from here doesn’t amount to a ‘crash’, but it would still be welcome. In all probability, that’s when demand might come in. After all, (this author included) who doesn’t want a house in Mumbai?

PS –Times of India is carrying this ‘real estate rates will decline 15%' news across all of their English dailies: TOI, Mumbai Mirror and ET. Given the TOI’s editorial freedom, I wonder if this was planted.

The low voter turnout dilemma

2008-05-24T20:23:00.003+05:30

In the recent Karnataka state elections, there was a very interesting debate regarding low voter turnout in Bangalore and associated issues of apathy of the urban middle-class, etc. [In fact, if there's any reader from Bangalore, I'd appreciate your views on this, because you'd have a better idea.]

Two articles of note here from the Mint.

1. The first article delves into some reasons as under.
Reason 1:

“The urban rich have other systems by which they can get things done, though it’s not necessarily by bribing (representatives),” says Rajiv Bhargava, head of the Delhi-based Centre for Study of Developing Societies. For instance, telephone and gas connections are freely available, and do not require the intervention of a well-connected local politician.

I was zapped when I read this. The thought itself is mind-boggling. So, the urban person votes because he/she expects the elected representative to get him/her a telephone line or a gas connection? And now since these are freely available, there's no need to vote? And this is democracy? I'm sure there's something to this argument, given that it comes from an expert, so I won't say anything much. I mean if the argument is extended, it supports the fact that slums see much higher voter turnout than middle and upper class - as is mentioned later in the same article .

“A very large part of the middle class in cities has enough money to get along with their lives. They do not depend on anybody for it and that explains why they don’t care,” Bhargava said, adding that it is only the poor who really have a stake in elections.

If extended one might even say that the indifference of those more privileged is justified, because, well, they don't need politicians. Whether it's true or not is debatable and I'll just leave it there.

Reason 2:

Politicians say the commission’s strict stance on campaigning played a negative role. “The Election Commission’s restrictions on campaigning this year and the timing of election day—coinciding with holidays—have contributed to the low turnout,” said K. Chandrashekar, a Congress party candidate from Bangalore’sBasavanagudi constituency and a former mayor of the city.

Not surprising, what else can you expect from a politician, but blame someone else.

Reason 3:

Political parties are used to low voter turnout in Bangalore—even municipal elections here see polling of between 35% and 40%.

This time around, say experts, the situation may have been made worse by the absence of charismatic candidates.

“There is a different kind of mobilization in rural areas where people know each other. It’s not so in cities,” said Sanjay Kumar, a fellow at the Centre for Study of Developing Societies.

Interesting thought. Reminds me of a certain charismatic candidate called Govinda - also a film star - who became an MP and soon enough all but renounced his duties claiming movies was his first priority. I'm also reminded of a how a housing colony in Mumbai achieved 90% voter turnout by making a concerted effort to gather it's residents and take them to vote, throwing in jalebi to keep spirits high (more here). So, I'm not sure I buy this logic either, but still, it comes from an expert.

Reason 4: Coming up next.

2. The second article is by Ramesh Ramanathan, a man I continue to admire for his work. In a well argued, cogent article, Mr. Ramanathan blames faulty electoral rolls for producing a suspect and highly debatable turnout figure.

When we say that voter turnout was 44%, we don’t know how many of these were genuine votes, and how many were proxy votes. Imagine two scenarios: one, where genuine voters were 240 and proxy voting was 200 votes, i.e., (240+200)/1,000; the second, where the genuine voters were 440 and proxy voting was zero, i.e., 40/1,000. Big difference in genuine voter turnout, almost 100%.

Here is what I think has happened in Bangalore this time around: We saw a much larger share of genuine voters — maybe 340 — and a smaller share of proxy voting — maybe 100. This is partly due to greater voter interest, and partly credit to the Election Commission, which worked very hard to reduce proxy voting. This means that genuine voter turnout actually increased by 100 votes, or 15% of the 600 genuine votes that are possible. This isn’t a trivial increase.

This now makes sense and puts things in perspective. Moreover, it points to something positive in society, i.e. people actually voting.

Back home in Mumbai, low voter turnout is an all-too familiar issue. NGO AGNI is doing a fine job, for e.g. in the BMC elections of last year, it (along with another NGO, ADR) even attempted to rate civic candidates, an important exercise that I hope is repeated in the state elections next year. The State Election Commission is doing, what I think, is an excellent effort- online and in the constituencies - for people to get voter ID cards.

So, the question I'm getting at is this - will we see a low voter turnout in Mumbai for next year's state elections? It's obviously too early to say. But I've seen the indifference in educated, highly-educated people. I've seen the sheer 'laziness' in getting a voter ID card and going to vote.

The excuses are all too familiar and go like "But how do I get a voters ID card?" (heard of the Internet? then go here), or "But my vote doesn't count" (yes it does) or "I don't like politicians" (and they don't like you either, but how does that matter?) or whatever. The fact of the matter is that apathy towards voting is real and it happens. I can't change it. I wonder how many of us think voting is a choice. Because I think it's a responsibility.

I don't want to switch on the moral button here, because I can't change your mind. If you have to vote you will. And if you don't want to, you won't. I'll just know that the ministers out there ruling over Mumbai are there because of me, and also because of you.

BRTS in Mumbai? bus ho gaya

2008-04-27T16:33:00.004+05:30

Delhi's controversial experiment with the Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) is a sad one. In all the media headlines and interviews with commuters, what will most likely get forgotten is that it was not the system that was at fault but the people executing it. (Read this BS Editorial for a saner look at the issue. Also read Paul Barter's post which has useful links on the success of BRTS in other cities in the world.)

The inherent risks in implementing a Bus Rapid Transport System in India are quite evident. Public apathy is only to be expected given the poor quality of public transport. Moreover, road discipline being what it is the prospect of a lane exclusively for buses is an open invitation for any driver.

But all this doesn't change the relevance of BRTS. For one, it's quicker and cheaper to implement than other options like metro rail. Then there's the principle of equity - i.e. shouldn't more road space be given to transport that carries more people? So, I'm not sure if it's a choice of whether we need BRTS. I think it's more a question of how it should be implemented.

And given the nature of BRTS (as against that of metro rail and local rail and buses) it's not surprising to see how easily it can be dumped. No one in the Government or even the contractors would take the time or effort to explain it's benefits and educate the public before launching the project.

Back home, Mumbai was toying around with the idea of BRTS some time back. The Chinese Kinglong buses bought for this purpose are already being used on Mumbai's roads and have received an enthusiastic response, even after a recent fire on the bus. Sudhir Badami makes a compelling case for BRTS in Mumbai (isn't the prospect of transporting close to 100,000 people every hour every day across both express highways good enough?).

So, will Mumbai ever see the BRTS? Given Delhi's recent experience it now seems highly unlikely because no politician would now want to touch it with a bargepole. If anything the prospect of public 'outrage' against a system that 'failed' in Delhi would be used as the predictable excuse.

But Delhi hasn't totally given up on the BRTS. If things go right, who knows, the BRTS might even see the light of day there. And if it does succeed, Delhi would be yet another example of not one but two excellent public transport systems, after the Metro. And for us in Mumbai, we'd have another thing to envy.

Time for batti bandh

2008-04-02T19:39:00.008+05:30

During winter last year I'd posted about the impending power crisis for Mumbai during the peak summer days. As the chart below shows, we consume much, much more (3,100MW) than we generate (2,200MW).

(Source: today's TOI, e-paper link here which might not be active for long)

No wonder then that the spectre of load-shedding and power cuts looms large in the summer, which is almost here. Last year, eastern suburbs like Bhandup and Mulund suffered power cuts of close to 4 hours every day with neighbouring Dombivli and Ambarnath going through a nightmarish 7-8hours of power cut. Unfortunately, this year promises nothing different.

The notion of "24x7" power for Mumbai is a myth which, at best, is restricted to a few western suburbs and of course, the island city. And as compared to the treatment that all the other cities in Maharashtra get, Mumbai looks like a spoilt child.

So, how do our three power companies (Reliance Energy, Tata Power and BEST) meet this shortfall? By buying it from other states and the Central Government. The good news then is that all three companies have firmed up sourcing agreements for meeting this shortfall. Albeit not entirely. As the chart shows below, unmet requirement will reach 200MW in June which could imply power cuts for the city, unless the companies firm up this shortfall till then.

The bad news is that this extra power will come at a cost. And a very high cost.

BEST additional general manager S A Puranik said early planning and procurement deals ensured Mumbai would get adequate power to cope with the demand. “But we will be paying a high price of Rs 9 per unit for power purchased from outside. It is almost three times the cost of power generated by city utilities,’’ [Source]

So, if you thought that rising food and fuel prices were your only concerns, get set for a higher bill, and perhaps even power cuts this summer. Batti bandh now?

Bandra Worli Sealink photos and status check

2008-03-26T17:43:00.007+05:30

Last year I'd clicked some photos of the Bandra Worli Sea Link (posted here). Thought I'd do a round-up again.

First up, a one-shot reality check of then and now. This was the progress in April 2007.

And this is as things stand now in March 2008.

As you can see, the main central tower has seen the most progress. The Bandra side entry road is the same, and one stretch from the Worli side has been added. Bear in mind that last year, disputes between HCC (contractor) and the Government (MSRDC) had stalled work for quite some time. Also remember that a lot of work, in any case, comes to a standstill during the monsoons. So, any guesses if this will be complete by end of this year? I don't think so. April 2009 should be a better estimate.

From what I could see, the issue remains work from the Worli side. Let's take a look...

This is the entrance from the Worli side, and I'm assuming they will widen it, because it doesn't look like an eight-way lane.

The next three photos show how little the progress from the Worli side seems (if you compare it to the Bandra side, photos here).

A smiling PWD Minister, who will also be hoping the BWSL is completed next year, so he can flaunt it as an achievement during state elections 2009.

Some statistics of the length of the cables

The boat seems to be enjoying the view.

Remember that the BWSL will consist of two main towers - one each on Bandra and Worli. Work on the Worli Tower has just begun, while the Bandra Tower is almost done. The photo below shows work underway on the Worli Tower

And this is the larger, 135metre tall tower on the Bandra side. The cables are being installed and the tower is expected to be ready before monsoons.

Finally, here's another look at the BWSL as it stands today. For more details and my earlier posts, click on the BWSL tag.

More photos on my Flickr page and the pages of Brajeshwar, Kapil and Preshit -as part of the Bombay Photodrive earlier this week.

Are Mumbai's planners looking at Bangalore?

2008-03-21T21:05:00.003+05:30

Sudhir Gota's excellent, detailed and still simple post on Bangalore (link via the sustran group) is a must-read, if only for the photos. While I've visited Bangalore a few times, I've never stayed there. Via blogs, and a couple of friends, I'd heard of the traffic chaos in the green city. I'd assumed it was because of fly-overs and such-like. But there's clearly more to it. Read Sudhir's post to get a sense of how bad urban planning can make life hell for it's residents.

While Bangalore is now facing the consequences of a car-friendly Government urban policy (i.e. priority for roads over rail, buses, etc.), Mumbai has been seeing it for time immemorial. In all the debates and controversies over the Peddar Road Flyover and the Bandra-Worli-Nariman Point Sea Link, not even half the attention has been given to transport systems from the Metro to bus rapid-transport systems.

There's a thought process at work here goes like - more roads = less traffic. Now, I'm not an urban planner, but in Mumbai, 88% of commuters use public transport. So by any logic, any policy that focuses on flyovers and sea-links over rail and bus has to be, at best, questionable.

And yet, for as long back as I can remember, the conventional way of measuring Mumbai's infrastructure progress is by asking how many new roads and flyovers are getting added. Which suits politicians well because roads and flyovers are easier to build and become vote-winning propositions. Yet, I doubt this line of logic is ever going to change.

And yet, any Mumbaikar can tell you that traffic in Mumbai is just going haywire. Sure, that's always been the case, but that's not the point. The development and expansion of the Western and Eastern Express Highways were much-needed relief for the far-flung suburbs. But picture this for a moment - with all the development in Central Mumbai (i.e. Lower Parel and the surrounding Mill Land areas), where are the roads to support them? For all the hype and hoopla, the Bandra Worli Sealink will not really solve the problem because it will offload all the vehicles at Love Grove Junction on one side and the Bandra Reclamation junction on the other. What about dispersal from there?

The issue at the core is much larger than a sealink or a road or a flyover or a Worli, Bandra or whatever. The issue is the thinking. Let me put that in perspective for you. Forty-six years ago, in 1962, our urban planners thought of sealinks to connect the island city to the suburbs. In 1968, the planners thought of underground rail. Till date, nothing has been achieved.

We're in 2008 now. All the phases of the Metro will be functioning anywhere between 2011-2012 (best case). The MUTP should have expanded the rail capacity by then and - hopefully - some kind person would have consented to the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS). My guess is with that, we should have taken care of our current requirements.

But here's the thing. Way back in the 70s, something called New Bombay was thought of. A few years back, the Special Economic Zones were mooted by the Ambanis. Till date, nothing meaningul has happened on either front. Almost all of the expansion and development in the last few decades has remained concentrated in Mumbai (with some suburbs like Andheri and Malad opening up to the services sector).

Question - why have we not thought of creating more Mumbai's around Mumbai?

It's that simple really in the end. The more you build, the more they will come. People, cars, etc. Look at how it's wreaking havoc in Bangalore. Our planners probably knew this in the 60s and the 70s. But nothing was done.

I don't think the planners and the politicians can take that same risk now. Else Mumbai 2050 (with a population exceeding Australia and perhaps many other Western countries by then) would make our current Mumbai look like Utopia.

12th March 1993 - never forget

2008-03-12T09:14:00.005+05:30

Mumbai Metro work finally begins

2008-02-10T18:41:00.000+05:30

Quick post to mark the milestone that work - finally (hopefully?) - began on the Mumbai Metro. If anything, the project will at least be remembered for having two Bhoomipujans. The first was on June 21st 2006, and the second on 8th Feb 2008. 19months. 19months before anything even happened.

So reset that clock and that calendar to 8th Feb 2008, the day work began. Let's now see when work is completed.

Turf before city, Thackeray style

2008-02-05T19:37:00.000+05:30

My favourite take on the Raj Thackeray controversy came from Cyrus Broacha in CNN IBN's "The week that wasn't". As part of the weather broadcast, Mr. Broacha says that Raj Thackeray has banned winter in Mumbai because he doesn't like anything that comes from the north. While the only way to take Raj Thackeray seriously is to joke about him, if only it were that easy. Yet, thankfully, people in Mumbai are seeing this controversy for what it is: a marginalised politician grasping at straws, a year ahead of elections.

Raj Thackeray's MNS was formed, in 2006, with much fanfare as an inclusive party. Remember this was the same Thackeray that invited Michael Jackson to perform in Mumbai, as part of the Shiv Udyog Sena (website apparently defunct) a scheme to provide employment to the poor, unemployed Marathi Manoos. Till date, no one knows whatever became of that scheme. Ironically, Mr. Thackeray's inclusive "Mee Mumbaikar" campaign, an inclusive effort, also died a quick death.

In the present day, one needs to put this into political perspective. Raj Thackeray's best shot at any meaningful position of power is via an alliance. But with which political party? The Congress is comfortable with the NCP. The Shiv Sena surely won't take him back. The BJP, with it's existing alliance with the Sena, can't tie up with him. Of the smaller parties, the BSP would prefer a stronger partner. Which leaves the SP, which Mr. Thackeray has now taken on, leaving him now completely isolated.

Mr. Thackeray is also increasingly uncomfortable with the Sena's preparations for next year's state assembly elections. Recall, that the Shiv Sena is on a comeback trail, winning the BMC elections last year and with smaller victories like the by-elections in Ramtek. Recall also that late last year, Uddhav Thackeray's stands on relief for debt-ridden farmers (last year he held up the ULCRA repeal over this issue). While the Sena lusts at going it alone on its home-ground, it is also painfully aware that's its partner the BJP is thinking on similar lines, as was obvious by the BJP's cold-shoulder to the Sena in its recent Modi rally in Mumbai. But that's another matter altogether.

So, without any platform, without any alliance, without any achievement, what does it's leader do? Go back to his roots. Only four years back, the Shiv Sena was at Dadar and Borivali stations beating up Biharis as they stepped out for the Railway exams. To that extent, what happened in these last few days isn't without precedent. But today Uddhav Thackeray is playing the same game in a different way. Sample his demands for housing quotas for Maharashtrians, or sample his anti-ULCRA rally earlier this year, an event in which many people were paid to participate.

Make no mistake, the tactics of both the cousins are rooted in the same Sena politics. Turf before city. The difference in the game is that Uddhav wants to be seen as protecting the Marathi manoos by "fighting for their rights", Raj wants to be seen as attacking those threatening the same Marathi manoos. I doubt he's won any supporters with this recent antic. And I think he knew that even before orchestrating the whole incident. Why then? I think he's behaving like any kid faced with a losing position in a game. The natural response to which is - if I can't win, I won't let you win. And that's what this is about.

The law and order situation is obviously deplorable. Ordinary, innocent people getting beaten up for no fault of theirs is criminal. Unfortunately, this is also Mumbai tradition. The Police will expectedly appear late at the incident. FIRs will be filed and quickly forgotten. All the political parties - the Congress, NCP, Sena and BJP - would condemn the incident, while gloating gleefully privately. Not a single one of them will want to go after Raj Thackeray, instead using familiar platitudes like "It will only incite more violence". Privately of course they're all gloating in glee as they now have one less opponent next year.

And yet again, once again it's the Mumbaikar, not the Bihari, not the Marathi, not the "outsider", but the Mumbaikar who bears the brunt of these needless political games.

Farewell Dr. T

2008-01-26T13:31:00.001+05:30

The recent controversy involving the resignation of Dr. T. Chandrashekhar reflects a new low for Mumbai. Clearly, Slum redevelopment is, arguably, the most remunerative, the most rewarding thing for any politician (MP, MLA or corporator). It is also, arguably, the biggest ever property scam that Mumbai has seen in it's lifetime.

Here's my idea of how it works.

1. First the Slums - Encroachment is immensely profitable for politicians (MPs, MLAs, corporators, etc.) because (a) it creates a vote-bank and (b) it paves the way for rehab. No wonder then that the best value-added career move for a politican is to become a builder. No nexus there. The politician is the builder (think Marathi manoos flag-bearers Manohar Joshi and Udhav Thackeray, and ultra-premium developer Mangal Prabhat Lodha of Lodha Builders)

2. Then the rehabilitation - Politicians then "hand over" their slum land to builders (often themselves), raking in their money there. The builders get to build commercial and residential plots and also get generous FSI; they rake in their money there. The slum-dwellers lease out their new pad - raking their money there - and go back to stay in the slums (remember "Nayak"?). And anyone else in Mumbai wanting a piece of that money can fake him/herself as a slum-dweller and rake in money there too.

3. And finally MHADA - In cases where MHADA owns the lands where the slums have come up, it has to give a "no objection certificate" for slum re-development by the builder. And MHADA has gladly handed over these NOCs with gay abandon.

Everyone's happy and everyone's rich. After all Mumbai property is among the most expensive in the world.

And what happens to anyone who threatens to upset that well-oiled, age-old machinery? Here's what

Dr. T. Chandrashekhar ~~holds~~ held three positions. (1) Officer on Special Duty for the Dharavi Re-development Project (2) CEO at the Slum Rehab Authority and (SRA) (3) CEO of MHADA.

As the CEO at MHADA, he recently hiked MHADA's ready reckoner rates (i.e. prices at which MHADA sells flats for lower-income and middle-income groups). I'm not sure what impact this would have had because no land in Mumbai gets sold at a discount. In all probability, the land would have been sold at market rates, with the administration pocketing the difference between the ready-reckoner rate and the market rate. So, the move to hike ready-reckoner rates would only be a move towards transparency. And yet, it would knock off a big part of the politicians's income.

As CEO at the SRA, he revoked some slum rehab proposals that were being handed over to private builders, instead of MHADA which - he believed - could benefit from the same re-development. After all, MHADA is owned by the Government.

He basically set himself up. It's bad enough that you "raise MHADA rates making houses more expensive for Mumbai's lower-income and middle-income groups" (nice spin, right?). But then how dare you "impede progress by stopping re-development?". No wonder then that he first got fired from the SRA post and today has resigned as MHADA chief as well. Some newspapers suggest that he's thinking of quitting the IAS altogether, choosing to move toward corporates instead.

Why am I writing so much about him? I think he's the only one person I can think of who has done something for Mumbai's infrastructure. Remember he comes with a track record of transforming Nagpur and Thane. In Mumbai he helped in resolving the impasse over the Mumbai Metro project's viability gap funding, resulting in at least the contract being awarded. When he was the head of the MMRDA he had roads and highways developed as part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project.

Sure, there are also enough stories of his "arrogance", his "closeness to a group of builders" and allegations of poor treatment for the people rehabilitated for road-building work under the MUTP. And yes, all projects under the MUTP and MUIP were running late. Dr. T also wanted to ban the Tata Nano because he thought it would mean chaos for Mumbai's traffic.

But here's the thing to wonder. Can you think of anyone - and I mean politician or bureaucrat - that has done something, anything tangible and visible for Mumbai in the last three to five years? And more so, someone with a track record? Someone that the people of Thane came out on the streets to support when the Government wanted to shunt him out? Someone who actually took on the builder lobby?

Do let me know if you can think of someone.

The point is not of adulation or praise for Dr. T. Chandrashekhar. The point is that if we demand performance from the leader/executor of a project, then he was someone who delivered. Those are the facts. Think of all your BMC Commissioners and Chief Secretaries. Think of your corporator, your MP, MLA. Think of anyone who you expect to deliver results.

Can you? If you can, then you better hope that he's still around. Because we just lost one damn good man.

Farewell, Dr. T. Chandrashekhar. Here's wishing you all the best in your corporate avataar. I hope you join the ADA Group. At least then we can hope Mumbai's Metro would actually be built.

Leadership styles - McCain and Obama

2008-01-08T12:19:00.000+05:30

From David Brooks column in the NYT:

The key word in any Obama speech is “you.” Other politicians talk about what they will do if elected. Obama talks about what you can do if you join together. Like a community organizer on a national scale, he is trying to move people beyond their cynicism, make them believe in themselves, mobilize their common energies.

In the same column, on McCain:

In the Senate, he sits in the back of the Republican policy lunches cracking jokes at the hired spin-meisters. He is allergic to blind party discipline and builds radically different coalitions depending on his views on each issue — global warming, campaign finance, spending, the war. He is most offended by dishonor. He’ll be sitting in his Senate office and he’ll read about some act of selfishness — a corrupt Pentagon contract, Jack Abramoff’s scandals — and he’ll spend the next several months punishing wrongdoing.

So, which leadership style are you?

Meanwhile back in Mumbai, here's what else is happening in the first week of the New Year.

1. The Police Chief termed the molestation of two women by a mob of over 70 on New Years night as "a minor issue".

2. Shiv Sena chief Udhav Thackeray wants ID cards for everyone in Mumbai to ensure that outsiders don't oust sons of soil in Mumbai. In related news, a movie on the theme of elimination of all anti-Marathis, is due to release on Jan 18th.

3. Revenue Minister Narayan Rane has stopped all legal proceedings (initiated by the Collector) against Khar Gymkhana, a private club found flouting norms pertaining to misuse of land meant for recreational purposes.

4. And finally, a builder was allegedly behind the murder of a Maha Thero Buddhist Monk in Govandi. The Maha Thero was opposed to the builders plans to construct a building in the area, under the Slum Rehab Schem e.

Can't wait for the other 359 days. Meanwhile, a very Happy New Year to you too.

Mumbai 2007 – the year that we forget tomorrow

2007-12-31T14:00:00.000+05:30

Or as I like to call it 2007 – The Mumbai That Wasn’t.

No round-up or curtain-raiser this time, instead, here are 10 things that Mumbai didn’t get in 2007.

10. Mumbai Metro – More than a year after being flagged off, no work has started on the Mumbai Metro. Meanwhile Delhi Metro completed 5 years in 2007.

9. The Bandra Worli Sealink – This project has seen it all, cost over-runs, delays and stoppage of work. Originally conceived in 1962, the project will – hopefully – get completed by end-2008.

8. The Mumbai Transharbour Sea Link – This one hasn’t even got a contractor as yet. Brothers Ambani are fighting over it and perhaps one of them will get it in 2008.

7. Traffic – Actually we got loads and loads of traffic. But no solution. As for TRANSFORM – “Transport Study for the Region of Mumbai”, it will soon be a year since their forlorn website was updated.

6. Better trains – While we did get a few new, shiny trains (but it will also take 3 years for 157 more of these to come), trains only got more crowded, forcing commuters to boycott train travel for a day.

5. Electricity – We had to beg and borrow from neighboring states because we’re consuming far, far more than we can get. 24x7 electricity might get short circuited come summer 2008. Batti bandh?

4. Roads – Neither the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road nor the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Roads got completed in 2007. Both are between 3-4 year overdue.

3. Wide Open Spaces – are now an endangered species. Builders and towers are passé because this year the BMC joined the gang, trying their best to push a shady policy to sell off our grounds.

2. Sane Politicians – The Shiv Sena ranting against ULCRA repeal and Narayan Rane baying for Vilasrao’s Deshmukh’s chair; both these acts eclipse every other inane antic resorted to by Mumbai’s politicians.

1. Affordable Housing – The good news is that property rates didn’t ~~shoot up~~ double once again in 2007. The bad news is no one expects them to come down in 2008. Towers will come up (Mill Lands, Dharavi ) and open spaces (grounds, salt pans) will vanish. But your dream house sure ain’t getting cheaper next year.

Some thoughts on car free day in Mumbai

2007-12-17T11:07:00.000+05:30

Mumbai’s Mayor, Dr. Shubha Raul, made an appeal yesterday for a Car-Free Day in Mumbai. I’ve framed a reply below.

Dear Madam,
Thank you for your appeal. It is heartening to see someone from Mumbai’s administrators actually make such an appeal. Even if we're lagging behind other countries on this initiative, I say better late than never. However, I find myself wondering whether I should respond to your appeal for the reasons outlined below.

1. How serious are your own efforts? – On Dec 15th, a group of energetic young people organized “Batti Bandh”. They made an appeal to Mumbaikars to shut down all electrical appliances for an hour. Your organization, the BMC, supported it. The response was dismal. After pledging your support and even shutting the lights of your bungalow, I’d like to ask why the BMC failed to do the same for their headquarters? Why were the hoardings in Mumbai still lit? If we could not achieve anything for one hour of voluntary efforts, how do you think your initiative will work for one full day?

2. How credible is the BMC? – It is very ironic when you say

Earlier, people used to take morning and evening strolls for fresh air, but even these are not pleasant nowadays, thanks to increasing emissions by vehicles. This is alarming.

Have you considered that perhaps the lack of open spaces could also be one reason impacting morning and evening strolls? A few weeks back, the BMC wanted to give away all our open spaces to private clubs because the BMC Chief, Shri Phatak, claimed that the BMC could not protect these open spaces from slums. Earlier, this year you disallowed debate on the Crawford Market redevelopment proposal. Given these questionable decisions how credible is the BMC to ask for a car-free day?

3. How clean is your home? – You say,

The number of people hospitalised with asthma, bronchitis, cancer, lung problems and eye diseases is on the rise. Moreover, noise pollution is causing hearing impairment, blood pressure and stress.

But did you know that between April and September this year, 122 BMC conservancy workers died due to hazardous working conditions [Source]. If you are so concerned about Mumbaikars being hospitalized due to diseases, perhaps you could also show some concern for your own workers, who are also Mumbaikars? Perhaps you could start by at least giving a cause of death for these employees? That’s the least they, and their families, deserve. If you cannot take care of your own employees – who are dying at the rate of 2 every 3 days – how will you take care of our city?

4. What about the other 364 days for public transport? You say

I want to make a beginning towards a pollution-free life for us all. I promise you that when the car-free day happens, I too will travel on local trains or BEST buses. I will expect all of you to follow.

Do not worry about insufficient public transport infrastructure. I assure BEST will add more commuter-friendly buses. If we do not take this initiative, what future will our children have in this era of global warming?

“Insufficient public transport” is not anything new to Mumbaikars. We deal with it everyday because we know the authorities aren’t interested in doing anything about our problems. A few days back, we even refused to travel in trains for a day because of the inhuman traveling conditions. The same trains that you traveled in because you were fed up with traffic on our roads. As for BEST buses, I’m sure you are aware that the BEST is, in fact, closing down some routes because of mounting losses. The writing on the wall has always been clear – Mumbai’s public transport can’t cope with its strains. Are your assurances valid only for one day for your appeal? How serious are you about the other 364 days?

5. What of the other 88%? You say

Once the idea of travelling by public transport catches on, I will encourage you all to do it twice or thrice a month to set an example before the world that we Indians do not lag behind in efforts to save the planet. You may say a once-a-month exercise will not save the city. But my reply is - a thousand-mile journey starts with a single step.

“Idea of public transport catches on?” Did you know that 88% of Mumbaikars already use public transport? So, we caught on to the idea a long time back. We endure the train and the buses, every day. You talk of a single step in a thousand-mile journey. But lakhs of Mumbai’s commuters have been taking single steps on Virar-Churchgate, Kalyan-CST journeys for ages. And their journey has only gotten tougher. For them, for these 88% of Mumbaikars, the car-free day is anyways meaningless. You issue front-page appeals to the 12% of Mumbai’s population that own cars. But what of that small 88% balance?

Batti bandh tomorrow

2007-12-14T16:06:00.000+05:30

One hour tomorrow.

From 7.30pm to 8.30pm.

All lights off.

Home, work, wherever.

Do it. Do it because you want to and do it because you believe. And with that one hour, go walk. Go to a park, a garden, a street. It's a Saturday. It's Mumbai. There's always things to do that don't involve starting at a computer screen or a TV screen.

More details here.

Voter ID Card Mumbai campaign

2007-12-05T18:23:00.000+05:30

The following ad appeared in yesterday's HT.

For those who want their names included/amended, you now have only two weeks to ensure you get this done. (also read this)

In case you've not received the notification at home for this exercise, here's what you should do:

1. If you know your assembly constituency, then go to your polling station given below (Source: Chief Electoral Officer Website). Click on the image for a larger view.

2. In case you don't know your assembly constituency, then
(a) 1. For those in Mumbai City (i.e. from Colaba to Mahim): please visit the Mumbai City Collector's website (click here)

2. For those in Mumbai Suburbs (i.e. from Bandra to Dahisar): please visit the Mumbai Suburban Collector's website (click here)

Call these numbers and ask for further details.

Mumbai Metro Phase Two bids in

2007-12-04T18:30:00.000+05:30

Meet the seven contenders who have submitted their technical bids for Phase Two of the Mumbai Metro. (Pre-qualification bids happened in June-07)

Consortium 1: L&T, GE, CAF

Consortium 2: Pioneer Infratech, Mitsubishi, Tata Power

Consortium 3: GVK, YTL, Bombardier

Consortium 4: Reliance, Siemens, Gammon

Consortium 5: Essar, Alstom, Lanco

Consortium 6: IL&FS, IL&FS-TN, Punj Lloyd

Consortium 7: Reliance Energy, Reliance Comm, SNC Lavalin

Brief details about Phase Two of the Mumbai Metro
Route: Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd
Cost: Rs6,192crores
Length: 31.87km
No. of stations: 27
Expected passenger load: 1.275m by 2011

Now is also a good time to recall that Phase 1 (Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar) is currently stuck over a 20acre plot in Versova which the MMRDA needs for a car-shed, but which, reportedly, the owner of the plot is reluctant to sell. Update - This is now resolved because with the repeal of the ULCRA, the litigation around the plot should come to an end, paving the way for the MMRDA to strike a deal with the owner. (Source)

Here's wishing the contenders all the best, especially the Ambani Bros. Let's hope they don't do an MTHL here.

Us Mumbaikars, we'll just wait for the traffic jam when the Prime Minister inaugurates Phase Two. Then, we'll just wait. And wait. If we could wait forty years for the Mumbai Metro (remember that the Metro was first mooted as far back as 1967-68), surely we can wait for forty more years.

ULCRA repealed, finally

2007-11-30T12:02:00.000+05:30

The Maharashtra Government finally repealed the Urban Land Ceiling Regulations Act (ULCRA) yesterday. Some of my quick thoughts on the impact of this move.

Positives
- Boost for transparency in a sector which badly requires it
- A probable end to land grabs by politicians and bureaucrats
- Easier access to Central Government's funds for Mumbai's infrastructure projects
- Longer-term real-estate supply now available, should aid stability for prices
- Red tape cut and therefore quicker clearances for real-estate projects

Negatives
- Potential for land-hoarding by owners, unless the Government gets serious about the proposed tax on vacant land on that part of land not being used for development by the owners
- No immediate impact on property prices, given that the land freed from ULCRA will take at least a couple of years to develop
- Not a definitive answer to the housing problem for Mumbai; although the Government has said that acquired land will be given to MHADA and MMRDA for low-cost housing, chances are owners will go to court on this. Besides Government sponsored housing schemes are prone to misuse as well as lack of transparency.

Update: Various newspapers are giving different numbers for the exact quantum of land released with the ULCRA repeal. Today's DNA, seems to make sense, so here's a summary.

Total Land declared surplus by the Govt since 1976=17,000 acres
Of which, land declared exempt=12,000 acres
Approx. balance surplus land to be used for low-cost housing=5,945 acres
Of which, land declared exempt (again)=1,827 acres
Which leaves a balance of=4,118 acres
Of which, Govt. orders acquisition of=3,500 acres
But acquires only=2,282 acres (challenged by owners and stayed by courts)
Actual land to be made available now=1,218 acres

Is ULCRA repeal in Mumbai relevant?

2007-11-29T12:47:00.000+05:30

As the Winter Session of the State’s Legislature gets underway in Nagpur, newsflow on the repeal of the Urban Land Ceiling Regulation Act (ULCRA) has picked up again. Today’s DNA reports that the ULCRA might be repealed today itself. Remember, the Act needs to be repealed to get funds under the Centre’s JNNURM.

While similar newsflow was active even least year during the Winter Session, nothing happened for a year. The ULCRA repeal escaped the Budget Session (March 2007) and the Monsoon Session (July 2007). Now, with the winter session underway, we’re all talking about it again.

So, will it or won’t it?

Current political thinking:

Ruling Congress-NCP Party: Chief Minister Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh, once a proponent of the ULCRA repeal, is now cautious, choosing instead to say vague things like:

"It is true that the discussion on the issue has remained inconclusive during last two session, but the business advisory committee has decided to take it up again on November 21," said Deshmukh while addressing the media at his official residence Ramgiri on Sunday.

Deshmukh further added that bills were always placed before both Houses of the legislature with the intention of passing them, but it would be breach of privilege if he announced that the same would certainly be passed.

BJP: In favour of repealing, simply because it was their Government at the centre which formed the JNNURM in the first place, calling for reforms such as repeal of archaic and pointless laws like the ULCRA.

Shiv Sena+Left+smaller parties: Against repeal, on the grounds that the Government must, instead, implement the Act, acquire surplus land and use it for affordable housing in Mumbai. Newspaper reports indicate the Sena, led by Opposition Leader Ramdas Kadam, wants loan waivers to the Vidarbha farmers as a quid pro quo for them to agree to the ULCRA repeal.

Here are the numbers at stake:
Per this HT article, the total surplus land across Western and Central Suburbs in Mumbai is estimated at 3,600acres. To put things in perspective, the size of the Mumbai Mill Lands was estimated at about 600 acres (or 400acres per the SC verdict, 7-Mar-06, page 71).

Now, of the surplus 3,600 acres, the Government has already taken over possession of about 2,300acres. The balance 1,300 acres still vests with the owners. And who are the owners? Take a look below (Source: Page 2, HT, dt. 28th Nov 2007)

However, the owners are disputing the Government’s claim that this land is surplus. Therefore, all of the 3,600acres is under litigation. What then does the ULCRA repeal mean for this surplus land? No clear answer, but here’s what might happen (from the HT Article)

(a) The balance 1,300 acres not in Government’s possession goes back to the owners

(b) The 2,300 acres of land acquired by the Government goes into courts and dispute between the owners and the Government . Legal cases, as we know, will then go on forever

(c) The Government gives back the land to the owners (as was the case in a similar situation in Gujarat in 1999)

Mumbai's demand-supply myth
Conventional thinking would suggest that increased supply of land would bring prices down? Before you say yes, consider this. There is no demand-supply concept in Mumbai ‘s real-estate market. As long as builders control the supply of land in Mumbai, they will dictate prices. Thanks to the overall economy's blistering growth, demand for Mumbai’s property remains high. And with supply being completely constrained, property prices will, in all likelihood, only increase.

Don’t believe me? Consider these two cases, one each in commercial and residential property, both spanning the last 2-3 years.

(a) In July-2005, IndiaBulls purchased 8acres of Elphinstone Mills Land for Rs441crores, a deal termed ridiculously expensive at that time. But, aided by a generous FSI allotment on that land, IndiaBulls has converted that 8acres into prime commercial property. In the process, they’ve probably more than made up their purchase price and, if their stock price in these last two years is any indicator, will also land up making a killing on the transaction.

(b) Suburban Mumbai has seen it's traditional ground+2 storied structures being converted to 10floor+ structures, thanks to the TDR policy (which allows builders to increase FSI on older buildings, if they surrender land for public use to the Government). Despite the huge supply that has come into the market thanks to this transformation, property prices have only increased.

So if conventional thinking goes that repealing the Act will unleash loads of land into the market thereby bringing property prices down, nothing could be further from the truth. My own guess is that once builders eventually get their hands on this prime Mumbai property, they will convert them into villas and such-like for the super-rich. What’s left will be used for commercial development.

Best case, some itsy-bitsy bits of land might be handed over to the Government as a compromise to end the litigation. That way, the Government might even come out looking good, claiming that it will hand over these lands for “affordable housing” to the public. And if you believe that, you’ll believe anything.

Update: ULCRA was in fact finally repealed, more here.

Blog interrupted again

2007-11-26T18:49:00.000+05:30

Once again this blog is hit by events mostly beyond the blogger's control. For more go to the other blog. I will be back soon. Till then, do visit HT's excellent Mumbai Project. Just for the whole lot of information and data, it's a must-visit. While it's good that they're running it on their website, I don't know why they're not carrying their daily pieces.

Watch out for summer 2008

2007-11-03T18:59:00.000+05:30

..because it promises to be far warmer than 2007, not just because or rising temperatures, but because of falling electricity supply.

Mumbai's boast of 24x7 power was severely put to the test earlier this year. We managed by borrowing from other states and biding those sweltering summer months (and it gets progressively hotter doesn't it?). Come next summer and get ready for begging and borrowing again. Have a look at the chart below. (Source: Link. Download as excel file: Link).

Yet again, the city will find itself in a bind because there are no new sources of power considering that all three power suppliers (Reliance, BEST and Tata Power) will be increasing output in the next one year. Leave alone development, here we're talking basic amenities in our city. Wonder if the ministers should start praying from now on itself.

The Dharavi Dilemma

2007-11-02T20:04:00.000+05:30

That Dharavi’s make-over will change Mumbai’s landscape is fairly obvious. Nearly as obvious as the fact that the execution of the scheme will be a huge challenge. Relocating people and relocating businesses is going to be much more difficult than getting a bulldozer and razing a few huts and shanties.

And we’ve made a great start. We have no idea how many people stay at Dharavi. That’s right, the redevelopment plan of Asia’s largest slum, till some time back, was being done without any idea of how many people staying there, save for a vague number of 57,000 families (do a google search here to see how widely quoted this arbit number is). No surveys done, no approval from the slum residents required. The only voice we hear is that of builders and politicians, both of whom are already talking bids, designs, houses, commercial complexes, artists renditions, etc.

Thankfully, with the appointment of Dr. T. Chandrashekhar (Ex MMRDA chief) as Officer on Special Duty, there’s at least some move towards transparency. Take, for example, his first move – to do an extensive biometric survey to establish how many people actually live there. The survey itself has run into a controversy, but let’s leave that there.

A few days back, in an HT op-ed piece, noted urban planner Shirish B. Patel wrote a brilliant piece (link here, but since its an e-paper link, it will probably vanish in some time) which raised pertinent questions on the project, citing earlier slum rehab schemes in Mumbai and Delhi which didn’t work out right.

For example: 55 years back, pavement dwellers from Matunga and Sion were relocated to Janata Colony, Chembur. Over time (by the 1970s) the colony grew large, but it also became surrounded on three sides by the Atomic Energy Commission, which wanted them out. In the monsoons of 1976, the colony was bulldozed and the people relocated to Cheetah Camp where the monsoons drove water to just under their beds. They live there even today, and Cheetah Camp, like Janata Colony is thriving with activity.

Mr. Patel recalls the Shiv Sena which finally gave slum-dwellers their due. Which reminds me of the fruity logic thrown by some people. Logic which goes “Slums are illegal, therefore all slums should be demolished”, or the really kooky one which goes “Slum dwellers don’t contribute to Mumbai’s economy” (Read the article for why those arguments are incorrect). But I digress.

The Shiv Sena formulated the Slum Rehab Scheme, recognizing the legitimacy of slum-dwellers. The Scheme, simply put, provided for free, new housing for slum-dwellers at their existing location. The extra land would be built open by builders, fetching exponentially higher revenues and thereby financing the re-housing of the slum-dwellers. The brilliance of the scheme probably lay in its simplicity. The slum-dwellers are happy (they put their new homes on rent and build a slum elsewhere to profit similarly), the builders are happy (loads of money), the politicians are happy (solid vote-bank built). Now, just to clarify, its not that I’m saying that this was the incorrect way of doing things (I wish I knew the correct way), but this scheme has been known to be a failure and to have been plagued by corruption.

Coming back to Dharavi, Mr. Patel gives an amazing statistic. The Kalbadevi-Bhuleshwar area in Mumbai is the densest in the world – 70% worse than Shanghai. If you’ve already been there, you probably didn’t need that statistic. There’s barely anywhere to walk, leave alone drive. Dharavi, he says, is similar. Mr. Patel asks

So, if everyone living in Dharavi is resettled there, where is the space for newcomers? How will anyone move around, whether he is a newcomer or an old resident?.

Something has to give. Either the State Government resiles on its promise to re-house all of Dharavi’s occupants in-situ, compensates some of them (handsomely, one hopes) and asks them to move out. Or it accepts a programme of in-situ incremental improvement such that Dharavi remains in the possession of Dharavi’s residents only, with no new occupants (unless someone chooses to sell out)

Besides all this, there is also the issue of the slum-dwellers themselves. Now that their say doesn’t count (remember that the rule of 70% consent for the project, has been done away for Dharavi), what’s stopping them from going to courts? Or for any political vested interest to take advantage?

The issue is not one of whether the re-development should be done or not. The issue is not that opposition to the project implies opposition to development. The issue is who do you trust? What gives you any assurance that post redevelopment, the very problems we're seeking to resolve don't come back to haunt us? It's about execution. About building confidence, perhaps even a consensus, that this scheme, and/or any modification, has a sure shot of working, rather than be soaked in doubt.

But, the only people who are optimistic that the Dharavi Re-development Plan will transform Mumbai are the builders and the politicians. I’m thinking Mill Land redux.

So, redevelopment, land-grab, make-over, pick your term and lets see where this goes.

On technical grounds

2007-10-28T21:42:00.001+05:30

That's what has delayed the the Shewri-Nhava Sheva Transharbour Link (or the MTHL - Mumbai Transharbour Link).

First, some facts that I know.

The MTHL, like many other Mumbai projects, was thought of a long time back (1970 to be precise). As usual, nothing (has) happened.
A few years back the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) began thinking about building this bridge and bids were invited. When I first posted, there were three groups in the race as follows.
(a) Mukesh Ambani Group (IL&FS+Seaking+John Laing+Laing O'Rourke)
(b) L&T-Gammon-Sistema
(c) IIMC (IFFCO+ITD+MAEDA+Skanska)
At some point of time, the Anil D. Ambani Group (ADAG which is Reliance Energy+Hyundai Construction), joined the race to build the bridge.
MSRDC disqualified ADAG from bidding on technical grounds, i.e.because its partner Hyundai had incurred cash losses in the past. Therefore, the combined net cash profit of the Group fell below MSRDC norms, even though other norms were met. (More in this article).
And therein began the controversy: how can you disqualify the group when it meets all the conditions except one, which can be a technicality? Not surprisingly ADAG went to court.
Two facts to remember (a) elder brother Mukesh Ambani, also in the bid to build the bridge, is at loggerheads with Anil Ambani and (b) MTHL is critical to Mukesh Ambani's Navi Mumbai/Maha Mumbai Special Economic Zone, because the MTHL will link the SEZ to Mumbai.

So, chew on this for a minute. From 1970 to 2006, nothing really happened on the MTHL. 36 years nothing. What were our ministers doing? When they did decide to go ahead, the issue went into court.

Where are we now? On Sept 11th 2007, the Supreme Court scrapped an earlier High Court order and allowed ADAG to bid for the project. The extended date for filing financial bids now stands at 15th December 2007.

The latest update came courtesy a front page HT article last week. The MSRDC had disqualified a Chinese firm from the bidding process on technical grounds, i.e. because the Chinese firm has built a longer bridge at a cheaper cost. This is what MSRDC Chairman, Shri Anil Deshmukh, has to say.

The pre-bid qualifications laid down that the bidder should have built a sea link of at least Rs1,000 crore. Their sea link had cost Rs850 crore. Labour and construction material in China is cheaper.

As with so many things that this city has endured from various governments, this doesn't make sense. As in the past, there is no transparency in the whole process. As in the past, there's a stench of foul play. As in the past, courts have had to intervene. As in the past, an important project gets delayed. Keep waiting Mumbai

Will the real modern Indian city please stand up

2007-10-22T16:09:00.000+05:30

Today's Mint carries an interesting interview (link) with Delhi's Chief Minister, Mrs. Sheila Dixit. The interview has been taken from the McKinsey Quarterly (link). Ms. Dixit is now on her second term as the CM of Delhi. Meaning ten years at the helm.

The Quarterly: How has Delhi changed during your two terms in office?

Sheila Dikshit: If you look at the physical achievements, the infrastructure is much better, the power is much better, water is much better, and transport is better because of the Metro, although not terribly so. I would say it needs another two to three years to put it right. When I look at human development, I think Delhi has changed from a cynical city to a city of hope. And it attracts not just people who seek jobs but also culture now. Almost the entire television industry, for instance, is located in Delhi, whereas Bombay6 used to be the top city.

That infrastructure—the dozens and dozens and dozens of flyovers that have come up, the underpasses that have come up—has attracted a lot of labor from outside. Meanwhile, those who were living here were not terribly interested in doing manual labor. So the labor came in, and those who are local have become better educated and are looking for jobs in the service sector. A bit more economic growth has meant more migration, and more migration has meant that we almost keep standing where we are.

I've never lived in Delhi and have visited it only a few times in the last few years. Going from what I hear from people, its a transformed city. The Metro itself has led to a paradigm shift in commuting. Sure, there's a lot still to be done (even the CM accepts it in the interview) but that can't take away from the achievements noted above. Even at the Municipal level, the sealing drive under taken by the MCD was a bold step irrespective of the implementation or the results.

Coming back to Mumbai, these were Maharashtra's Chief Ministers since 1998 (courtesy Wikipedia)

1995-1999 - Manohar Joshi
1999 - Narayan Rane
1999 - 2003 - Vilasrao Deshmukh
2003 - 2004 - Sushil Kumar Shinde
2004 till date - Vilasrao Deshmukh

What have these people done for Mumbai? For a minute, just think what physical infrastructure has been created in Mumbai, since 2004 (the period that has seen India sustain high economic growth, a period that has, and continues to be, critical for Mumbai).

What are the achievements of our Chief Minister, Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh. I can't think of any. If you count the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (tag), then most of it is running behind schedule. Ditto, Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project. Whatever progress (extension and building of new railway lines, ramping up the Express Highways and the link roads) has come months after it was due. The Metro was flagged off a year ago and work will start only in Jan-2008. All other large road projects are stuck somewhere between the courts and the organisations who will commission the project. Housing? Full marks if you're a builder because these last few years would have been very good for you. If you were a prospective buyer, I hope you bought your house soon enough. Electricity? Load-shedding resulted in suburbs like Mulund facing hours of power cuts.

As a resident of Mumbai, I can say that life in the last four years has only gotten tougher. There has been some respite at the ward level (construction of drains, widening of roads, etc) thanks to a handful of BMC corporators, but as a city - India's largest - we have moved nowhere.

Is money a problem in Mumbai? Well, the Mayor certainly thinks so as she cribs about Mumbai not getting enough, while conveniently forgetting the BMC's own budget. Over at the Metro, the contractor - Reliance Energy - has had problems over viability funding with the MMRDA (and hence the State Government) and even today this Rs650crore remains a problem bouncing between the Centre and the State. Till recently, the Bandra Worli Sealink (tag) was stuck over cost over-run problems between the contractor and MSRDC. The issue is not one of "do we have the money?", but one of "how are we spending that money?"

And how's it in Delhi? Read below.

The Quarterly: Is funding a critical constraint?

Sheila Dikshit: No, funding is not a constraint. We have very good tax collection and have urged the people not to avoid taxes. We gave concessions where we thought we should, but we were also one of the first states to impose the VAT. Since things are happening here, the central government has been very kind to give us funds. So we are never short of funds.

And finally, lessons to be learnt.

The Quarterly: How can other Indian cities follow Delhi’s example?

Sheila Dikshit: They should be made into city-states,11 and we should start with five cities: Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, and so on. I am sure politically no one would agree with this, but I think administratively it would be good for the country’s development. Create city-states and give them the power to undertake development. They should not be under the state governments but rather under their own chief minister or chief administrator or whatever you want to call the position. They would collect their own revenues, maybe sharing a percentage with the other states. You have to develop your cities, especially if you’re envisaging that in the next 20 years 55 to 60 percent of India’s population will be urban. You just can’t do it with the same old administration where you’re dependent on various constituents for every penny.

Does any politician or any bureaucrat responsible for Mumbai, honestly even think of mooting that Mumbai be declared a state with its own administration and funding? I doubt it. Who would dare cut the hand that feeds?

ULCRA - to repeal or not to repeal

2007-10-12T18:56:00.000+05:30

In many of my earlier posts I've made reference to the fact that a delay by the Maharashtra State Government to repeal the Urban Land Ceiling and Regulation Act (ULCRA) will result in us losing out funds from the Central Government made available under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

But is the choice that simple? Repeal ULCRA = More money for Mumbai? That's the line being taken by many. But its never that simple. In Mumbai, nothing is.

The ULCRA is 30-year old piece of legislation followed more in its abuse. Formed with the purpose of curbing land-hoarding in the hands of a few, the Act empowered the State Government to acquire "excess" land and then release this land for public use. Sounds good, doesn't it? If Person X has loads and loads of land, then what's wrong if he surrenders a bit of it to the Government who then gives it back to the aam janta in the form of low-cost housing.

If only it was that simple. Ironically, even with all the discretionary power that the ULCRA gave to them, State Governments just couldn't work it right. They just couldn't - didn't - acquire surplus land. Besides, land owners, and Governments, conveniently circumvented the Act using the "exception" clauses that the Act contained.

Now, to put numbers to it, consider this nationwide data (source).
Land deemed as excess: 2,20,674 hectares
Land acquired by State Governments: 19,020 - or a mere 9%
Actual excess land exempted under the Act: 61,967 hectares.

(download data in MS Excel here)

Now, if that's not a case of failure, what is? Thankfully, but after a lot of debate, the Act - on a Central basis - was repealed in December 1998. Eventually a number of states that had implemented this Act followed suit. Delhi, for example, repealed the Act five years ago.

But Maharashtra - and hence Mumbai - has not repealed this Act. Our Chief Minister promised to repeal it last year, but the motion didn't make it through last years winter session and this year's monsoon session of the Legislature. Best chance now? This year's winter session.

For a minute, lets take a contrary view, i.e. is there a case for ULCRA to remain in action? After all, if implemented properly, the Act can achieve its intent, i.e. cool property prices and provide low-cost housing in a city where "affordable housing" is a dream.

Take for example, this article in today's ET. 84 year old, veteran Janata Dal (Secular) Leader P.B. Samant wants Maharashtra's Chief Minister, Shri Vilasrao Desh to convince him that repealing the Act will be beneficial.

The octogenarian leader referred to a successful housing project undertaken by Nagari Nivara Parishad for 6,000 families in Goregaon under ULCRA. “This demonstrates that the Act can still be implemented for the larger good of the people in Mumbai if the government has the will,” he added. The state government has proposed to repeal the Act in the winter session of the state legislature in December. “If the Act is repealed, around 30,000 acres of land would be released to real estate market players, who would certainly not use it for the benefit of an average Mumbaikar,” he said.

Indeed, who can argue with that? Shouldn't the State Government first implement the Act in its spirit before repealing it? But, doesn't past experience tell us that this Act can't be implemented? So, can we trust our politicians to actually execute this Act? Even if they do start implementing it, what if land-owners go to courts and delay the process? Even if the Government acquires land, then who will monitor the process of the surplus land reaching its ultimate end-use, i.e. low-cost housing? Is there any regulatory system in place to ensure transparency in this land-release?

As always, too many questions, too few answers. If, and when, ULCRA is finally repealed, the process will take time and it won't be transparent. Look at Mumbai's Mill Lands. The Supreme Court verdict (allowing for re-development of the mills) was in March-2006, and even today a year-and-a-half down the line, mill owners, the BMC and MHADA are all fighting over who gets how much land and when. So, even if the ULCRA is repealed, I doubt it will be an easy process and I doubt if it will result in vast tracts of land coming into the market on one fine day.

This is Mumbai. Nothing is simple, nothing is easy. And when it has to do with land, land worth thousands of crores, it will take time. Lots of time. Time that this city never had.

Maharashtra tops JNNURM funds takers

2007-10-10T13:55:00.000+05:30

Question of the day - Which Indian state tops the list for availing Central Government funds for city projects, under the important Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission?

Answer - Maharashtra. For 47 projects, the state has drawn funds of Rs 6,396 crore. (Source: today's TOI. E-paper link here).

While the TOI article is based on a report that I can't find, data just prior to this report is available on the JNNURM website. This is a chart based on this data (accessable as Google Spreadsheet here).

What I can't figure out is how much of this money has come to Mumbai. Or wait, does the fact that the Urban Land Ceiling Regulation Act (ULCRA) has not yet been repealed in Maharashtra have anything to do with that? I doubt it, since the state (not the city) tops the country in taking JNNURM funds.

Yet, funds have never been a real issue for the city. Whether through the State Government, or Central Government or even the BMC's huge annual budget. That's among the reason I'm not a big believer in the theory that "Mumbai gives so much to the Centre and we get nothing back". Well, I don't know about that now, considering that the state to which the city belongs to, gets the most from the Centre's scheme for urban renewal.

Road Project Updates

2007-10-03T18:44:00.000+05:30

A brief update on three major road development projects, being handled in one way or another by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). (Source: Today's TOI)

Bandra Worli Sea Link
Status: Stuck
Reason: Dispute over cost escalation
Earlier target: April-2008
Expected now: Dec-2008
Length: 6km
Cost: Rs1,306 crores

Worli Nariman Point Sea Link
Status: Bids not invited
Reason: PIL filed against project by NGO Federation of Environment and Development Organisation, which is demanding another study
Length: 13.75km
Cost: Rs4,143 crores
Bids: Not yet invited

Sewri-Nhava Seva Trans-harbour Sea Link
Status: Bids to be invited by Dec 15th 2007
Reason for delay: Reliance Energy had moved the court against MSRDC disqualifying its bid to build the bridge. Supreme Court lifted the order and extended the date for filing bids to Dec 15th 2007. High Court clearance also awaited.
Length: 22km
Cost: Rs4,000crores

Broken window theory in Mumbai

2007-09-22T20:05:00.000+05:30

If only. But, the DNA reports today

The Mumbai police, on Thursday, took their first - even if an unwitting - step towards adapting the broken-windows approach when they urged the courts to hand down tough sentences to violators of traffic rules.

Three men had to spend a night in prison for such offences as reckless changing of lanes and breaking the speed limit

One night in prison is hardly enough to stop our intrepid traffic violators in the city. Take a look around and you should realise that the perception (myth?) about driving in Mumbai being disciplined, is all but over. More vehicles, less roads, more work and less time has resulted in all of us blissfully breaking almost every rule while driving. From lane cutting to talking on cell-phones while driving to not stopping before zebra crossing at signals, etc.

Leave alone pondering on the broken window theory, if only Mumbai's traffic police could just keep no-parking zones free of cars parked there, you'd see miraculous results on traffic.

What of the people

2007-09-19T11:20:00.002+05:30

In the closing lines of her weekly column in HT today (e-paper link), Sujata Anandan notes

It could be such a merry situation for the critics, if it were not already so pathetic: Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, who should actually stand united behind Bal Thackeray, are now bitter enemies. Munde and [Nitin] Gadkari cannot see eye to eye. Uddhav and Gadkari would rather no have anything to do with each other. [Prabha] Rau will not leave any stone unturned to do Deshmukh in and his nuanced barbs against her are beginning to add pep to the situation. All those who should be friends with each other really seem just interested in ironing out their respective rivals.

Is anyone out there giving a thought to the people, by the way?

Touche. That in a nutshell is the state of politics, or the politics of the state, today.

What happens at the state level has an obvious bearing on Mumbai. Our key agencies are pretty much run by politicians. For example, the Shiv Sena-BJP combine has a majority at the BMC, while the MMRDA is run (or at least headed) by the Congress. Key policy and reform measures are taken by politicians.

In the last few weeks, newspapers have been full of reports of the weakening position of CM Vilasrao Deshmukh in the Congress camp and the launch of a bid by the Prabha Rau (President, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee) camp, for the CM post. Likely candidates have included Narayan Rane, Sushilkumar Shinde, etc. However, Shri Deshmukh has clung on to his post.

Rumours and newspaper reports apart, the fact is that without a firm and resolute leadership at the helm, nothing meaningful can be done for Mumbai. Fighting within, and between, political parties, can only hold back reforms, irrespective of how urgent these reforms are.

The current Congress+Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) combine has now spent three years ruling Maharashtra. Over at the BMC, the Shiv Sena - BJP combine was re-elected to power earlier this year. It would not be an exaggeration to say that all these political parties have done precious little for the city.

Almost every infrastructure project being executed is facing delay for a variety of reasons. Count among them the Mumbai Metro (land acquisition, rehab of project-affected people), Bandra Worli Sealink (losses claimed by the contractor, disputed by the Govt) and the MUTP (funding, rehab, etc). There are some projects, like Brimstowad and Middle Vaitarna, that haven't even taken off.

Political interference continues to impact projects that are hoping to take off in the near future. For example, Dharavi Re-development - the Government has suspiciously extended the eligibility date from 1995 to 2000; i.e. the later the date the more people that can be issued free housing (think populist measure), underscoring yet again the execution challenges ahead for this mega project.

Or take the Crawford Market Re-development issue. Why did all the corporators in the BMC (this includes all the parties in the BMC, not just the Shiv Sena-BJP) suddenly approve the scheme after being opposed to it for the better part of the last one year?

I don't even want to talk about the policy measures here because those have not even come out of the confines of the Vidhan Sabha. Does anyone remember whatever happened to the Housing Policy? or the repeal of the Urban Land Ceiling Act? or the transformation of Mumbai into an International Finance Centre?

Too many questions, too few answers. Too many politicians, too many fights. And too much delay that will always cost the city dear. Indeed, is anyone thinking about the people?

R.I.P. J.B. D'Souza

2007-09-09T18:55:00.000+05:30

For a variety of reasons this post has come much later than it should have and I regret it.

Ex-Chief Secretary of Maharashtra and Ex-Bombay Municipal Commissioner, Joseph Bain D'Souza passed away on Sep 2nd, 2007.

I had the honor of meeting him a few times and I wish I'd been born earlier to have seen him in action. One of the reasons I started this blog was to raise awareness - and none more than my own - about issues that plague this metropolis.

In all my writings and learnings, the one thing I came to realize was the near-infinite value of a few good men. People with values, people who get things done and aren't afraid to stand their ground. Mumbai needs people like these. Because that's what it takes to change things. And J. B. D'Souza was one such person.

In the past few years, almost every minister and bureaucrat with an arm and a leg in Mumbai never missed a chance to get photographed next to the Mithi, or crib about how little Mumbai "gets from the centre" or how its multiple agencies screw things up, or OD on giving false hope on just about every important project in this city. Earlier this year, among the first few things that the mayor of Mumbai did after being appointed mayor, was rush to New York, family included. Time and again, politicians and bureaucrats go on foreign jaunts by the dozens to learn things from other cities (Shanghai?). I've not heard of anything significant being implemented in Mumbai.

And there you had J. B. D'Souza who, even after retirement, went after issues that he believed in. Implementation of the Srikrishna Commission report, low-cost housing and action against corrupt officers are the few that come to my mind and I'm sure there will be others. No headlines, no sound-bites on TV channels, just tirelessly going after things that he believed in. For a minute, can you even imagine any other politician or bureaucrat doing this in Mumbai? I can't.

That's when you realise the need, and importance, of people with a sense of duty and responsibility and people who get things done. I believe J. B. D'Souza was one such man. And Mumbai needs many more.

Rest in peace, sir. This city - this country - has lost a son who served it well, bringing honor to the term "public servant"....a term which seems quite mundane when put next to his name.

Go well sir, you will be missed. Sorely.

Quick vital stats on Dharavi

2007-08-31T10:22:00.000+05:30

Some vital stats on the Dharavi Redevelopment Project. (source)
Area: 535acres; to be developed into five sectors

Ownership: 69% owned by BMC, 10% by state and central governments and balance 21% is private land

Families affected: 50-60,000; each will get one 225sqft tenement as rehabilitation

Industrial units: 4,500. Each will the same 225sqft tenement.

Companies bidding: 26 consortia, i.e. combinations of global players and domestic ones. For eg. Reliance Land + Hines Real Estate, HDIL + Lehman, Runwal Group + Capitaland, etc.

Bid document: Handed out to 101 companies at Rs1lakh/document.

Scrutiny of bids: Under progress, to be completed by Sept-end

Short-listed candidates: To be announced after scrutiny is over. Five developers (consortia as above) who will develop one sector each.

Bid submission: Technical and finance bids by above short-listed candidates to be submitted by October 15, 2007

Bid finalisation: By December 15, 2007

Size of project: Rs9,250crores, or US$2.3billion.

Now, consider this: Dharavi is an entire economy on its own. To replace that with proper real-estate development is not going to be easy. Its one thing to provide free housing to a slum-dweller, but another to replace his daily wage, assuming that's even possible. Unless, politicians and builders get together and with their combined strength move this forward.

Wonder why there are no protests here from any political party over issues like consent of the residents, land acquisition, substitution of income, environmental and infrastructure impact, etc.. No agitations, no protests. Nothing.

Back up. Did you say "Politicians and builders get together"?

Mumbai Voter Id Card - Update

2007-08-27T13:59:00.001+05:30

When I last posted on how to get your Election Photo ID Card (EPIC), or voters card, I received many queries pertaining to the schedules for the issue of the EPICs across various areas. Unfortunately the Chief Electoral Officer's website has stopped posting these schedules online.

However, I know for a fact that this exercise is underway in Mumbai because (a) I've seen ads in Worli notifying the dates when these cards will be issued and (b) I've also seen vans with election officials roaming in streets in Santacruz, armed with loudspeakers, urging citizens to apply for the EPIC.

I'm now sure when (if at all) the CEO plans to upload the schedule on their website. Till then, for those who want to get their voter ID cards, I can point you to two links as below.

1. For those in Mumbai City (i.e. from Colaba to Mahim): please visit the Mumbai City Collector's website (click here)

2. For those in Mumbai Suburbs (i.e. from Bandra to Dahisar): please visit the Mumbai Suburban Collector's website (click here)

Both the links provide you with the phone numbers of the Collector's Office. Once you have these numbers, do the following -

1. Call at the numbers and simply ask "how do I get my voter ID card?". You will be asked where you stay and then given the phone number of the relevant office in your area.

2. Call that number and ask for the details. For e.g. "What is the schedule for issue of voter ID cards in my area", "Where do I go to my voter ID card", etc. etc.

I hope this works for you.

Request to other bloggers/aggregators - if any of you kind people think this message (relevant only for Mumbaikars) is worthy of spreading, please link or copy paste, etc. Thanks.

Moving to new domain

2007-08-24T10:18:00.001+05:30

This blog will now be hosted under my own domain name. Here is the new address. You don't have to do anything, but in case you have any problems in accessing this blog or feed, please leave a comment. Thanks.

Also, apologies for the nth time in not posting. As always, I will be back.

Mid-year round-up Mumbai, part 2

2007-08-02T16:24:00.000+05:30

Part 1 of my round-up is here. This is the second, and concluding, part. Comments, as always, welcome.

*****

Real estate – going for broke

So, did your dream house get cheaper? Don’t be surprised if it didn’t. And heck, at least it didn’t get any more expensive. Brokers and builders – at least those in suburbs – are now a lot less arrogant than last year. They’re willing to talk, perhaps even negotiate if you’re a “genuine buyer”. Why? courtesy the interest rate hikes earlier this year, which pretty much took the steam off property prices in Mumbai.

But don’t rejoice. “Affordable housing” remains as believable as traffic-free roads in Mumbai. Builders remain firmly in control. And the Government remains firmly indecisive.

The much-hyped, toothless, housing policy was finally tabled in the Monsoon Session of the State Assembly and almost all experts believe it’s impossible to implement. Low-income group houses next to high-income group ones? No way. And what kind of builder would take up such a project? Ironically, the Government wants to encourage a public-private partnership with this policy. Don’t expect to hear too much on this front as we settle into the second half.

Do, of course, expect to hear more on the slum rehabilitation project at Dharavi. This is a project where politicians have made huge amounts of money – illegally. You couldn’t find a better example of the politician-criminal-builder nexus. RTI activist, Shailesh Gandhi, who filed a Public Interest Litigation on this matter, recently sent a mail detailing everything that’s happened – or not – so far. Read here for more details. Meanwhile, almost all of the large, organised, and now listed, developers like DLF, Unitech, HDIL, etc. are all bidding for a piece of what will be a vastly lucrative pie. For everyone.

Funny how the Government is moving with focus on Dharavi, while soft-pedalling on key regulatory issues like the housing policy.

Or like repealing the Urban Land Ceiling Act. We’re no closer than we were last year.

Why is repealing the Act so important? Simply because the city needs infrastructure funds from the Central Government, which makes these funds available to cities under their Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). But, cities have to fulfil certain conditions. Like repealing ULCA. And Maharashtra is among the last few states where the law still exists. Even after agreeing to repeal this law – which incidentally was followed in exceptions rather than the rule – the Government isn’t any closer to actually repealing it. It didn’t make it through the winter legislature session last year, and it’s not made it through the monsoon session this year.

So, what do we look forward to in the second half of this year? Property rates aren’t expected to fall, but not many expect a meteoric rise either. Don’t expect anything from the Government to increase supply. The Mill Land sales remain stuck over one issue or another. The housing policy could remain just another ineffectual document. While last year, the CM indicated that the Government might release lands acquired under the ULCA earlier to cool down property rates, nothing of that sort has happened.

Roads – Building bridges

Regular commuters on the western side won’t miss the hectic activity off Bandra Reclamation’s shores. Yup, the Bandra Worli Sealink (BWSL) is hustling and bustling with activity. And Public Works Minister, Shri Anil Deshmukh would give anything to be photographed cutting the ribbon next year, due April 2008. Yes, we’re all waiting. Waiting to be stuck in Worli, which will import Mahim’s traffic jam, once the BWSL is ready. Simply because, without the Worli-Nariman Point Sealink, the traffic could very much just shift from one place to be another, only quicker. Incidentally, the controversial Peddar Road Flyover seems to have gone into limbo.

But enough about South Mumbai.

Another sealink which was proposed 30 years ago, but hasn’t been as fortunate as the BWSL, is the Mumbai Transharbour Link, which would connect Sewri to JNPT (Nhava Seva). Nothing’s happened on this project so far in 2007. Just like nothing’s happened on Reliance’s SEZ plans in and around JNPT, Navi Mumbai. Coincidence?.

Coming back on the western side, if there’s one stretch of major road that the city can be proud of completion, as some sign of some progress, it is the Western Express Highway. Widening of this critical highway, around the Borivali and Kandivali area is almost done. 24km long, 61m wide, strengthened at a cost of Rs200crores. Phew, heave that sigh of relief. And you can see the difference if you’ve driven there. On the other side, a similar job on the Eastern Express Highway is also nearing completion.

On an east-west basis as well, the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) and the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) are due for completion between Jan-June 2008. Even the World Bank – which had, btw, suspended funding of the MUTP road component in March-2006 – said it found “tangible process”. Let’s hope it stays that way. After all, in Mumbai, any progress is good progress.

That concludes my round-up. I will revisit these issues for the 2008 curtain-raiser.

What I'm not doing

2007-07-30T19:04:00.000+05:30

..is fishing...that too before sunset.

Yes, yes, I've been away and yes, yes, I will return.

Mid-year round-up Mumbai, part 1

2007-07-18T16:47:00.000+05:30

My article for the Hafta. Do check out its new look here. Comments welcome.

*****

Six months into 2007, we take a two-part round-up of where the city is on various key issues.

Politics and governance:

The Shiv Sena + BJP combine won the Municipal elections in February 2007, to the surprise of those who had assumed that the departures of Raj Thackeray and Narayan Rane and the death of Pramod Mahajan had all but decimated this partnership. Surprisingly, the partnership that runs the state – the Congress and the NCP – was the one which fell apart even before the elections began, over the issue of – what else? – how many seats each party would get once they win the elections.

For the Shiv Sena + BJP, this victory, coupled with their win in Ramtek (Lok Sabha constituency election held in April-07) could mark their comeback, well in time for the state polls due in 2009. Confidence in the Sena is running high and there’s already talk of and end to their tie-up with the BJP.

Narayan Rane, the man in charge of “ensuring” a Congress victory in the BMC polls, must be one worried man, having been pretty much marginalised in the overall scheme of things. Another worried man is current Chief Minister Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh, with talks doing the rounds that he is on his way out as CM.

Why are these politics important for Mumbai? Simply because these are the people calling the shots on everything. With the BMC back in the control of the Shiv Sena + BJP, expect more clashes between the BMC and the MMRDA (run by the Congress+NCP). We saw it last year and we will see more of it. Think abandoned dug-up roads, unfinished projects, delayed projects, etc. etc.

Moreover, with Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena winning a few seats in the BMC polls, they’d now like to consider themselves as a formidable, if small, opposition (read – ready for tie-ups). Sample how they recently filled up a gaping hole outside Shivaji Park with three truck loads of sand. That hole was dug up by the BMC for some work, which was as usual delayed.

If there was one positive sign from the BMC election, it was the victory of lone ranger, Mr. Adolf D’Souza. There’s a lot to learn from this seemingly unnoticed event. Imagine what it means if a bunch of people from one neighbourhood (in this case Juhu) come together in an systematic, almost surgical manner, and get a trusted, proven person elected as a Corporator / Councillor, I think it’s a huge victory for the city. More to his ilk. You get one of these only once every four years. I hope VoteMumbai.com is preparing their next candidates for the 2011 election.

Infrastructure: Rail

Work continues on upgradation of the three routes which are part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). These routes are in varying stages of completion. Target? June 2008.

(a) Borivali – Virar (project known as Borivali-Virar Quadrupling of Rail or BVQR): 26kms, Rs509crores, two tracks. All to double the space on this busy route. This is the project that made the weekend of May 26/27th 2007 unforgettable for rail commuters in the city. 25% of all Western Rail routes between Churchgate and Virar were cancelled or terminated early, for work on the BVQR project. This entire project was supposed to get over on June 30, 2007. I’m not sure of the current status.

(b) Borivali – Mahim: While the MMRDA site states that the line between Santacruz to Borivali has already been laid out, I’m not sure if the stretch between Santacruz and Mahim has been laid out. Although one can clearly see the extra fifth line at Mahim station.

(c) Kurla – Thane: 18kms, Rs166crores, two tracks. 45% complete.

Had enough? That was just Phase I of the project. Phase II involves two new tracks between (a) CST and Kurla and (b) between Thane and Diwa and (c) a sixth line between Borivali and Mumbai Central. The aim of both phases is to ensure that only local trains run between Mumbai Central and Borivali (on Western Side) and between CST and Kalyan (on Central Side).

That was the good news. Now for the…

Mumbai Metro: A.k.a. no progress is really no progress. The Mumbai Metro celebrated its first anniversary of being flagged off on 21st June 2007. One year, not much work. Sure, you can see some snazzy boards that have come up in Versova, but that’s all that’s happened. The project remains plagued by problems relating to land acquisition, rehabilitation of shopkeepe rs, etc. etc. The status, if any, of the project remains unclear and its website is not particularly helpful either.

Coming up soon, a round-up of roads and real estate.

11 July 2006: Never forget

2007-07-10T13:06:00.000+05:30

6.24pm Khar Road - Santacruz
6.24pm Bandra - Khar Road
6.25pm Platform 1, Jogeshwari
6.26pm Platform 3, Mahim
6.29pm Mira Road - Bhayandar
6.30pm Matunga Road - Mahim Junction
6.35pm Platform 4, Borivali
(Source)

11 minutes
7 blasts
186 dead
544 seriously injured
312 suffered minor injuries
(Source)

A year on, this is an update (pg2, TOI, dt. 8th July 2007)

Sorry for the interruption

2007-07-02T19:34:00.000+05:30

I am painfully aware that posting here has dropped. This is thanks to work pressures and some other commitments. I will be back soon. I know there's a lot happening in Mumbai (not just the rains which washed out both of the last two weekends) and I hope to catch up with it soon. Hang in there.

Save the tiger project

2007-06-15T15:58:00.001+05:30

I had my caricature done, as part of the Save The Tiger project.

If you'd like to have one for yourself, and help the project, please do visit this blog to sign up.

PS - have been quite unwell in these last few days. Work pressures and other things are taking up time. I will be back, just give me some time.

BMC corporators disqualified for faking caste certificate

2007-06-05T13:45:00.000+05:30

Elections are always about numbers. Take the recent Bombay Municipality Elections. The ones that decide who runs your neighborhood, and pretty much the city of Mumbai. In Feb-2007, the Shiv Sena-BJP combine won these elections with a majority of 119 seats out of the total 227.

Of the 227 seats, 74 are reserved and caste certificates have to be submitted by the candidates to the Divisional Caste Verification Committee. However, this has to be done after the elections.

These certificates are now being examined by the CVC. Turns out that many of these respected councilors have submitted fake caste certificates. Anything to win the election, I guess.

As per an Indian Express article, these are some of the abovementioned honorable people (full article here) (for a comprehensive list of all the winners, go here)

Yadav Lalji Ramkishore — Samajwadi Party
Chonkar Manmohan S — Shiv Sena
Shaikh Mohammed Hussain— Samajwadi party
Pahudkar Rashmi Rane— Shiv Sena
Khan Harun Yusuf — NCP
Pawar Narayan Janu — Independent
Chougule Shirish Chintaman — MNS
Pravin Devhare — Shiv Sena
Subhash Kanta Sawant — Shiv Sena
Mahadeshwar Pandurang — Shiv Sena
Dnyanmurti Sharma — BJP
Simantini Narkar — Shiv Sena
Suresh Gangan — Shiv Sena

Mere disqualification won't hold them back though. Most of them have approached the High Court to stay this order, and would be fairly confident of prolonging the process and holding to the seat for dear life.

Some voices on this matter below, for your perusal:

Shiv Sena councillor and leader of the House Sunil Prabhu—whose party has nine councillors with discrepancies in their caste certificates—is confident that Sena corporators will manage to obtain a stay order. He claims that mere technicalities in the certificates have been intentionally used against these corporators.

“But we are sure that the Judiciary will rule in our favour,” said Prabhu, adding that even if that is not the case, a by-election is not likely to disturb the existing distribution of seats. [>>]

"The scrutiny committee has been unfair to us but we have faith in the high court. Even if by-elections are called for in these wards, we are sure winning of these seats again" said Sunil Prabhu, Sena leader in the BMC.[>>]

Crying foul over the large number of members to be disqualified, Mhadeshwar said, "The committee is working under government pressure. I am an OBC and my caste certificate mentions it. But the committee refuses to recognise it. The committee appears intent on bringing discomfort to the Sena alliance."[>>]

Shiv Sena, however, is sure that it won’t lose any of its members. The party blamed Rane for trying to disqualify corporators of the Sena-BJP combine. “I am very sure that Narayan Rane is behind this disqualification bid as the committee which is verifying the caste certificates comes under the revenue department. Why is it that only the Sena corporators have been issued notices?” questioned Shiv Sena corporator Vishwanath Mhadeshwar.[>>]

Pretty much the state of civic administration in the city, not that you needed any reminders.

Mumbai's constituencies for voting

2007-05-23T11:59:00.000+05:30

This comment here, set me off to find which constituency I belong to. It turned out that there's not one, but three. That's because there are three elections in which we vote - Bombay Municipal, Maharashtra State and the General Elections.

Here are the details of each election and the relevant constituency (purely from Mumbai's perspective)

1. Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM/BMC) -

Last held: Feb-2007

We vote for: Councilor

Division: Into 227 electoral wards, clubbed under 27 administrative wards

Numbering: Electoral Wards are numbered 1 to 227. Administrative wards are from "A" to "T"

For example, Pali Hill and Lilavati Hospital are both in Bandra. But Pali Hill falls under electoral ward no. 96 and Lilavati Hospital under electoral ward no. 97. And both wards (nos 96 and 97) fall under Ward H/West. So, there are 227 electoral wards (and hence 227 councilors) clubbed under 24 administrative wards. The electoral wards are numbered 1 through 227 and the administrative wards are numbered A through T.

To know which electoral ward you stay in (it will be numbered between 1 and 227), read my earlier post on the BMC elections. Or, if you're willing to put in the effort, download this very detailed powerpoint presentation here, which gives the boundaries of each and every electoral ward. The presentation has (obviously) 227 slides and is in Marathi.

2. Maharashtra State Elections:

Last held: October 2004

We vote for: Member of Legislative Assembly

Division: Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban

Numbering: 34 Assembly Constituencies. 17 each in Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban as below (source here)

Mumbai City
19-Colaba
20-Umarkhadi
21-Mumbadevi
22-Khetwadi
23-Opera House
24-Malbar Hill
25-Chinchpokli
26-Nagpada
27-Mazgaon
28-Parel
29-Shivadi
30-Worli
31-Naigaum
32-Dadar
33-Matunga
34-Mahim

Mumbai Suburban
36-Vandre
37-Kherwadi
38-Vile Parle
39-Amboli
40-Santacruz
41-Andheri
42-Goregaon
43-Malad
44-Kandivali
45-Borivali
46-Trombay
47-Chembur
48-Nehrunagar
49-Kurla
50-Ghatkopar
51-Bhandup
52-Mulund

3. General Elections:

Last held: May 2004

We vote for: Member of Parliament

Division: No sub division

Numbering: Six Parliamentary Constituencies numbered 4 to 9 as below (Source)
4 - Mumbai South
5 - Mumbai South Central
6 - Mumbai North Central
7 - Mumbai North East
8 - Mumbai North West
9 - Mumbai North

Looking at the above, it makes sense, doesn't it? Locality, City and Country. I have the right and duty to vote for the person in charge of all three. If you look at any political party poster in your area - and assuming they all belong to the same party - then you'd probably find the mugs of the Municipal Councilor, Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and Member of Parliament (MP) on it.

To put things in perspective, Mumbai has 227 councilors in the BMC, 34 MLAs in the State Assembly and 6 MPs in the Parliament. These are the people you elect, these are the people responsible for your area and these are the people who represent it in the Municipality, Assembly and Parliament.

Would you pay Mr. Adolf D'Souza Rs1 per day?

2007-05-15T19:23:00.000+05:30

A group of residents of a common locality used to meet often with a mutual interest of maintenance, cleanliness and general well-being of the area where they all stayed together. You know, the usual things, roads, drains, etc. So, they formed a common group for the welfare of the area they all stayed in.

You’ve seen this so many times in Mumbai. Residents of say, one road in say, 10 buildings form a group. The group would then meet with the BMC (Bombay Municipality Corp.) and take up matters. Drains are clogged, garbage’s not been picked up, etc.

In some cases – like waste management – the BMC helped them out. In others – like drainage work, road repair, etc. – they resisted. After all, if the residents are going to do all the work, then what good are the elected Municipal councilors?. But our group persisted and managed to get their work done using the law (think RTI).

Seeing this, other people from near-by roads and neighbourhoods also formed their own groups, with the help of the first group. They began solving their problems, using the law, working with the BMC.

The BMC figured that if you can’t beat them, join them. So the BMC's engineers (looking after roads, drainage, etc) began meeting up with these groups and together, they worked their way around problems of the area.

Till one fine day, these groups figured they’d be better off if someone among them is elected into the BMC. Why fight the system if you can change it from within? Especially when a person who you trust, who is part of your group and who has delivered is also now willing to represent your area in the BMC?

And so, the message goes across all the groups in all the roads in all the neighbourhoods. "Vote for Mr. X as your representative in the Municipality". A systematic campaign at the grassroot level begins, backed by internet-driven efforts, e-mails, wikis, and what-have-yous..

Mr. X wins. The campaign has worked. A victory for democracy and a case-study for the effectiveness of public involvement in civic matters.

So far so good? Just one small problem now.

Mr. X is not supported by any political party. Ah, politics. No getting around it, is there? Look at the rest of the BMC – don’t all of their people belong to a political party? Almost all of them do. But why does it matter if Mr. X. doesn’t belong to any political party?

Here’s why – the BMC pays Mr. X Rs4,000 per month for his salary and his office’s running expenses (i.e. staff, stationery, etc.). If Mr. X belonged to a political party, all this would be booted by the party itself.

And to quote Mr. Adolf D’Souza – Mr. X in our little story:

Currently, I am a ward committee chairman, so BMC has provided me with a car and staff. But my tenure as committee head ends next year, and I will not be able to manage expenses because I will have to bear all costs on my own. Why doesn’t the corporation increase the amount given to corporators? This will also help reduce corruption.

Why indeed does it not? But come on, the BMC is not going to raise councilor salaries in a jiffy, right? Besides if all the political parties take care of their councilors, then why should the BMC raise salaries across-the-board for one candidate?

So, any ideas on what should be done?

Try this: Ask the people who elected you – about 4,000 in all – to pay about Rs1/working day towards his salary. Which works out to..lets see…Rs1*25 working days*4,000 people = Rs100,000. Rs1lakh a month. That sounds better. Enough for an area as large as Ward 63 – or that part of Juhu that got together and elected Mr. D’Souza as their Municipal Councilor.

My question to you – if you were a resident of Juhu, if you had elected Mr. D’Souza to office and if you believe in his execution capabilities, would you pay this man Rs25 per month?

I would.

Not everyone will. Read these reactions (from today’s DNA).

Mitesh Shah, Juhu – “Adolf D’Souza should have approached the BMC first rather than approaching voters from his ward. What if all corporators followed his example and asked citizens for financial help? What are we paying taxes for? This is the corporator’s new method to earn extra money. I am definitely not paying. I'd much rather give it to the hungry and poor and rest assured that my money is helping someone. Let D’Souza and the BMC resolve the matter among themselves.”

Candy Cornello - How did other independent corporators before Adolf D'Souza manage their office? If the BMC really underpays its people, how come none of the corporators have raised their voice yet? I don’t mind paying the corporator Re1 a day, as it is hardly going to burn a hole in my pocket. But it's unwise on the corporator’s part to ask funds from people instead of the BMC.

Mauren D ’Souza - Mr D'Souza is abusing democracy by asking Juhu voters for help. Why did he take up the job if he was not capable of delivering? The BMC must be having certain standard of payments that were followed by corporators till date. How come no other corporator complained? Re1 is a paltry sum. But what is the guarantee that he won't take bribes apart from this money he will 'collect' from us? If I have my math right, D'Souza is asking for a bit too much than actually needed. If the BMC can't pay them for their services, they should seek employment elsewhere.

These people are asking valid questions. Somehow I can't see it in such black and white.

Sure, I have no idea how other independent Municipal councilors/corporators have managed all these years. Just like I have no idea how effective these other councilors/corporators were and what their track record was. But I do know that Mr. D'Souza has a decent track record.

Sure, I can file an application under RTI with the BMC to find out how the taxes they collect from me are spent. But will that reveal anything path-breaking? Besides, I already know that councilor/corporator salaries are Rs4,000/month (plus Rs150-600 per meeting). So I'm not sure how effective an RTI application would be to work around this situation.

Now, what if Mr. D’Souza were to resign because of lack of funding? And in place of him, is elected someone from a political party; someone I don’t know and someone likely not endorsed by local citizens groups. In other words, same old, same old. What then? He could deliver and then again he couldn't.

Why should lack of funding stop a good man from doing his job? Will he really set a precedent for others? I think the public would know enough to spend their money on someone who delivers, as against a rank outsider. Besides, I doubt whether a councilor from a political party would ask us money for his salary.

Purely from the maintenance and development of the area where I stay and purely from my support for this individual, if I got an email asking for Rs25/month to help pay for his expenses, I think I would pay up.

What would you do?

Get your Voter Photo ID Card now

2007-05-10T14:27:00.001+05:30

Update - If you have not received your voter ID card, please read this first.

Note - I've received a lot of comments on queries pertaining to schedule, forms, etc. For all these matters, could I request readers to please keep checking the Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra's website for details on the voter photo-ID program.

In case your question is still not answered, please...

(a) Read this ad here, which has an SMS number and e-mail address to be contacted in case of queries

(b) Read these FAQs here.

Update- Parel (Assembly Constituency #28 has been added to the list. If you stay in Parel, check the EPIC schedule for that area here).

For those who missed out on voting in the BMC elections, here's your chance - a full two years in advance - to ensure that you don't miss out on voting in the 2009 Elections in Maharashtra.

Did you notice this while reading your newspaper today?

The State Election Commission has initiated a commendable drive to issue your Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC), or simply Voter ID card, on the spot. That's right. I got mine done in just under 15 minutes, by going to the local Election Registration Office (ERO).

While you are supposed to get an notification slip at your home with your name, ERO address and further details on how to get the EPIC, chances are - as they were in my case - you might have not got this slip.

Of course, chances are you might not even be on the Electoral Rolls (more on that in a later part of this post) but neither of these issues are big problems. Read further on how to tackle them.

The EC is currently holding the EPIC program in four constituencies (Chembur, Nehru Nagar, Mulund and Khetwadi).

Earlier, it has completed the drive in six other constituencies (Dadar, Matunga, Amboli, Bandra, Mumbadevi and Mahim).

If you belong to any of the eleven constituencies mentioned above, here's the checklist for getting your EPIC.

1. First and foremost, check if your name appears on the Electoral Rolls. Don't groan. You can do this online. Go here and click on the "SEARCH ELECTORAL ROLLS" tab.

2. If your name appears correctly on the rolls, then go to point 4 below.

3. If there are any problems in your name then click on the following links to apply ONLINE (yes, online and not go to any office)..

Click here to to have your name included (Form 6)

Click here to delete a name in the Rolls (Form 7)

Click here to modify your name (Form 8)

Click here to change your address (Form 8a)

4. After your name is included on the rolls, you have to go to your local election office.

A> If you belong to the following constituencies, click on the link to view a detailed schedule of the program in your area. Each area has multiple EROs. Go to any one of them with proof of identity and residence (ideally a ration card, drivers license, passport, etc), and that's it. You should be issued your EPIC by the (very helpful) election staff at the ERO.

47 Chembur

48 Nehru Nagar

52 Mulund

22 Khetwadi

B> If you belong to the constituencies below (where the drive has already been conducted), you can still get your EPIC. I've given the ERO address (same as in the third ad above) next to the constituency name and number. Just walk in to the ERO with proof of ID/residence (ideally a ration card, drivers license, passport), and you should get your EPIC at these EROs.

Dadar (AC 32) - Govt. Technical High School and Jr. College, 1st Floor, Room No. 5, Dadar (W), Mumbai - 28

Mazgaon (AC 27) - M. H. B. Building No. 1/2, Ground Floor, Abhyudaya Nagar, Kala Chowki, Mumbai - 33

Amboli (AC 39) - P. W. D. Barracks, D. N. Road, Andheri (W), Mumbai - 58

Bandra (AC 36) - R. V. Technical School, 17th Road, Khar (W), Mumbai - 52

Mumbadevi (AC 21) - Taraporwala Aquarium Building, 1st Floor, Netaji Subash Chandra Road, Charni Road, Mumbai - 2.

Mahim (AC 34) - Badminton Hall, Below Flyover Bridge (Western Railway), Mumbai

This is one of the most comprehensive efforts undertaken to increase voter registration. I've never seen a simpler, voter-friendly way of getting the EPIC (which, btw, is as important a document as your passport). I've tried the system and it works. Now you try it.

In fact, if you believe that others should know more about this, then spread the word. Thanks in advance.

Bandra Worli Sealink - some photos

2007-05-07T19:03:00.000+05:30

Time for a reality check on the Bandra Worli Sealink. I've taken these photos from five different locations - Worli Sea Face, Twin Towers (Prabhadevi), Chaityabhoomi (Dadar), Bandra Reclamation and finally, Band Stand.

For a brief recap on this ambitious - and long-delayed project - do read my earlier post here or visit the project's website.

Quick facts - Its a 6km long road which will connect Bandra Reclamation to Worli Seaface. It is slated to cost about Rs1,306crores and is (as its signboard will tell you) expected to be completed a year from now, i.e. April 2008.

If this does get completed on time, the present Congress+NCP Government will use it as a poster boy for vital Mumbai infrastructure that they completed during their tenure. Of course, the utility of the BWSL has always been - and will continue to be - debated. Put simply - how can a project, which is clearly in favour of motorists, be justified, when precious little has been done to boost Mumbai's local trains? And then of course, there are concerns on the environmental impact of the BWSL. Anyway, I'm not touching on these aspects as I've already covered parts of them in earlier posts. This post is specifically on the photos and the progress underway on the project.

Note - if any of the photos look hazy, please click on them for an enlarged views. If any of you readers are kind enough to improve the quality of the photos (I've just touched them up using "I'm feeling lucky" on Picasa), I would really appreciate your help.

Picture 1 - This is what you see if you're standing on Worli Sea Face. One platform jutting out from the road. This is the point of entry/exit to the BWSL from Worli Side. Initially, the flyover over Love Grove was supposed to connect the BWSL to Haji Ali, but I'm not sure if this is the case now.

Picture 2 - Another photo from Worli Sea Face. We'll soon see how this looks like from other places in Mumbai.

Picture 3 - I'm now near Twin Towers and in this photo you can see the same cranes you saw in the earlier photos. This is Worli Village.

Picture 4 - So, this is essentially the work done from the Worli Side on the BWSL. Not much. Wait till you see Bandra.

Picture 5 - For example, this stretch of road looks weird, detached as it is from Worli Sea Face.

Picture 6 - We're now at Chaityabhoomi, Dadar Beach. This is a view of Worli village and you can see some cranes in the background which are the same ones you see in Pictures 1 and 2.

Picture 7 - This is really the progress on the BWSL and what stands of it as of now in May 2007. Notice the stretch coming out of Bandra Reclamation. The entire project is due to be completed by May 2008. Will it? Watch this space. And yes, I wish I had a better camera.

Picture 8 - The central tower of the BWSL, which I think will be 128metres high once it is complete.

Picture 9 - The work from the Bandra side. You can see both hotels - Sea Rock and Taj Land's end in the background. We're headed there in a bit.

Picture 10 - This is what you see if you're at Bandra Reclamation. Note the central tower, with green covers on top and the strip of road, seen in picture 5 above, from the Worli Side.

Picture 11 - The entrance at Bandra Reclamation, entry beyond which is currently restricted. The signboard says it all. 30th April 2008, 4.7km (I think this is just the stretch of road from Reclamation to Worli Sea Face, while the additional 1.5km is the distance from the Bandra main signal to this entrance at the end of Bandra Reclamation).

Picture 12 - In this photo, you can see clearly see the ramp which leads up to the link. So, the entire stretch of road on Bandra Reclamation (i.e. the same road where so many movies have been shot) is connected to the sea-link. A lot of the construction trucks ply here everyday.

Picture 13 - We're now at Band Stand, almost end of journey. This is what the above area (Picture 12) looks like from the other side. This part was already built a year back (these are my earlier photos, shot a year back, from this same location)

Picture 14 - End of the road. This is the view from the Band Stand point, note that platform stretching out from the bottom of the pillars to the central tower (green cover on the top). Wonder what's that for.

Mumbai as IFC

2007-04-27T17:41:00.000+05:30

I know this is happening too often, but posting frequency will remain low in the near future due to - what else? - work.

In the meanwhile, I will point you towards Ajay Shah's exhaustive compilation of links related to the Government's High Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) Report on "Mumbai as an International Finance Centre (IFC)".

For now, my interest is limited to the committee's comments on Mumbai's physical and social infrastructure and governance (slides 24 to 26 of the HPEC presentation).

I hope to go through all the reports and presentations (that Mr. Shah has linked to) and post on some aspects like these (from the presentation mentioned above)-

Slide 12 titled "Mumbai's physical infrastructure" includes this point "To be an IFC: Mumbai needs to be 1st world city".

Slide 26 (on Governance) includes "City's Governance must be independent of state" and "City's management needs to be autonomous, transparent and accountable to City residents"

Are the politicians listening?

On improper number plates

2007-04-20T14:58:00.000+05:30

Some thoughts on this photo I took at the Mahim Church junction in Mumbai. Comments, as always, most welcome. (Note - Before posting, I've digitally smudged the last four digits of the number plate).

1. Could that constitute an "improper number plate"? I'd say yes

2. Is driving a car with an improper number plate a fine? Yes, under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act (MVA) and Section 236 of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules 1989.

4. What's the penalty? Rs100

5. Where did I get this information? Here, the Mumbai Traffic Police's website. (Nice site. I continue to be surprised by how informative and exhaustive some Govt. websites have become..and hope to post on it in the future).

6. What's the fine for a similar offence in New York? I don't know. I tried looking it up here but I couldn't find an answer. Does anyone out there know? would love some help. Thanks.

7. Coming back to Mahim, what was the owner/driver thinking? I don't know but I'm guessing he didn't know the fine is Rs100. Perhaps he didn't even think its an offence. Maybe he assumed he could bribe his way out. Or, maybe he was just taking his car to have a proper number-plate fitted. I'll never know.

8. Why this post? There'd be enough people who'd go "big deal". While I don't want to gripe about the legendary Mumbai indifference/chalta hai attitude, etc., I thought its a good time to post this because there's talk of how Mumbai should be get tougher on implementing its traffic penalties, taking an example from Delhi.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Ironies

2007-04-17T14:47:00.000+05:30

Two articles worth highlighting from today's newspapers..

First up, this article titled "MLAs want to live only at Nariman Point" which says

Nariman Point, the high-profile business address of the nation, will house 100 more MLAs of the state legislature. The proposed swanky MLA hostels, coming up on a government plot close to Nariman Point fire station, will be the fifth such hostel for Assembly members.

According to sources, the expected cost of building the hostels is Rs 20 crore and it will be part of Rs 375-crore Mantralaya makeover project. The decision to build the new hostels was taken by a committee comprising Speaker of the Assembly, the chairman of the Legislative Council and the chief minister.

And then, this other article which takes us north of Nariman Point to Lower Parel, where Mumbai's Mills were once located. The article tells us that even though the Maharashtra State Government could not provide houses - as required by law - to the displaced mill workers (after the mills were shut down for redevelopment), they are trying their best to provide jobs for them.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh categorically told the House that although it was not possible to ensure that each and every worker got a house for himself, the government will try to provide shelter to most. "The 2001 amendment in the DCR has a clear provision for a house for every mill worker. We have plans of 10,000 more houses on the land submitted to MHADA by the mill owners. The number of the houses may go up as few more mills undergoing redevelopment are expected to release some land for the workers. However, these houses will be come ‘at a cost’,” Deshmukh said.

Leave alone implementing a law made to provide a house for mill workers, the politicians we've elected are busy building houses for themselves in prime property Mumbai. Talk about ironies...

Wither Mumbai Metro

2007-04-11T10:18:00.000+05:30

Ramesh Ramanathan, co-founder Janaagraha, is a man I continue to admire, for a variety of reasons, the main one being his faith and efforts in the area of participatory democracy.

He has an interesting article titled "The courage to demand" (link here, registration required) in today’s Mint. His piece is based on Transport For London’s ad, looking for a Managing Director (Planning).

This is the ad he’s talking about. The parts worth highlighting – and as Mr. Ramanathan has done – are as below

The Managing Director (MD), Planning will play a central role in defining the future development of transport policy and the transport network. This is a new role reporting directly to the Transport Commissioner.

It includes responsibility for:
Providing world-class strategic transport planning direction for London's transport network, including input into wider Mayoral policies
Developing the Mayor's Transport Strategy, including informing wider policy documents such as the London Plan and borough land use plans
Co-ordinating planning and development of major capital projects such as interchanges, as part of TfL's £10 billion capital investment programme
Effective joint working and close collaboration across the business and Greater London Authority group to ensure implementation of policies and projects
Close co-operation with London's boroughs to ensure effective on-the-ground delivery of the Mayor's Transport Strategy
Liaison with European and international transport planning networks to bring best practice from elsewhere to London and influence development of wider transport planning and policy
Developing and sustaining relationships with Government departments and other stakeholders to ensure engagement and buy-in to TfL's vision, strategies and plans.

And then, this bit on who can apply – this is really something.

We want to be as diverse as the city we represent and welcome applications from everyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. Applications are especially welcomed from women, people from black, asian and minority ethnic groups and disabled people, since they are currently under-represented at this level.

Mr. Ramanthan then goes on to wonder what the ad for the Bangalore Metro Chief, would look like...

Managing director, Bangalore Metro Rail. Compensation of Rs30,000 per month, with perks including housing, help, car. A learning opportunity for a generalist manager with no background in transportation management. Reporting to the chief minister of Karnataka through a fuzzy structure that includes the principal secretary, the chief secretary, and the urban minister, you will be responsible for delivering an urban mass transport solution that’s totally disconnected from other city transportation modes—bus, road, taxi, pedestrian—with no inter-institutional coordination, and plenty of jurisdictional territoriality.”

Additional information could read: “In the four years since its inception, the Bangalore Metro has only managed to create a broad blueprint for a rail-based mass transit system, with financial projections escalating from Rs4,000 crore to Rs6,500 crore. Public support is suspect. Timing, cost and quality of implementation are uncertain. Your role as managing director is unclear, with minimal authority to take any substantive decisions. If, despite the odds, you do a good job, you will surely be transferred in two years. This job is open only to IAS officers. Others need not apply, since this is not an equal opportunity position.”

Ironic? Of course. True? Sadly yes. I’m particularly stumped by that “In the four years since its inception..” part.

Lets do the obvious extrapolation to the Mumbai Metro.

Depending on what you mean when you say inception, the Mumbai Metro is a whopping 40 years old, because it was first conceived in 1967-68 (more detailed time-line in my earlier post here).

Or if you take the relevant date for “inception” as the date of the contract being awarded for one leg (i.e. the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar leg, or VAG), then we’ll turn one on May 18, 2007.

Or if you consider the day the VAG leg was flagged off, then we’re, oh lets see, only nine months old. Which is a baby compared to a four-year old project.

Probably, Mumbai Metro1, i.e., Reliance Energy and MMRDA (the partners for VAG), breathe easy knowing that Bangalore Metro hasn’t achieved much in four years since inception. And that's bad news for Mumbaikars.

I agree with Mr. Ramanathan when he says “We don’t give the best people a shot at running our public institutions. We must not settle for mediocrity”. Out here in Bombay, we're doing fine with indifference, leave alone mediocrity, thank you very much. Metro or no Metro, life goes on.

Whither Mumbai Metro or wither Mumbai Metro? Time will tell.

A river runs through it

2007-04-05T12:47:00.000+05:30

Kiran has been kind enough to share these photos of the development work going on around the Mithi River. These are all in and around the Saki Naka area, Andheri East.

The first two photos (right-hand and left-hand view from the road) are of the construction work (is that a raft there?), probably road-widening work, near the River (notice the green leaves, I'm guessing the river flows below it).

Another photo of the road extension, which can be seen a bit more clearer now. This is taken from the other side of the same Andheri Kurla Road (between Ghatkopar and Andheri). Notice the green growth there as well.

Finally in this photo below, you can see a bit of the river. As Kiran (via e-mail) points out, "its almost a bottleneck formed due to a land formation coming in from the left side".

This reminds me of urban planner Chandrashekhar Prabhu's reply to our question (as part of the Haftamag interview with him), on the Mithi River development work post 26/7.

1. It's almost a year after the 26/7 floods in Mumbai. How has the state progressed on cleaning up the Mithi River?

Other than paltry beautification scheme of cleaning up the Mithi River, we have not moved much. The Mithi is as dirty as it used to be and the State has lost Rs. 600crores. The Government's efforts are all cosmetic dabs at addressing the problem.

We need to understand the concept of a river delta. A delta is where the river splits into tributaries and covers huge tracts of land in these tributaries. The land between these tributaries acts as a sponge and in technical terms, these lands are dissipation spaces. Any low-lying river would have these dissipation spaces as bases, which hold the water during high tide and heavy rains.

The basic law in any urban development procedure is that these dissipation spaces should not be tampered with. When ever there is a water body coming down from the hills, especially in undulated land, and meeting the sea, vacant space has to be given to the water body.

In our case, the entire Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) has been planned exactly in this dissipation space. What has happened is that 300-400 acres of land which was part of the dissipation space was taken over and filled up by the stroke of a pen. No amount of dredging would compensate for that.

(full interview here)

Remember Gujarat

2007-04-05T10:24:00.000+05:30

Never forget. 2002.

From Dilip's post on his visit

Conversation with a young man in a vest, paan stains on it and his lips. Starts with casual platitudes, but then gets tense. "Look, the days of that chutiya Gandhi are gone, OK?" he says suddenly. "I won't offer my cheek to be hit any more", and here he sticks his right cheek towards me nearly as crudely as if he had grabbed his crotch. "They trouble us so much on the border," he says. "Then Godhra happened. We had to hit back."

Heard that before?

Mumbai out of top 10 Indian business-friendly cities

2007-03-30T11:25:00.000+05:30

The table shown above is a ranking of the best Indian cities for setting up and running a business. It's from a larger report by International Finance Corporation (IFC). The report is titled "Doing business in South Asia 2007" and can be downloaded from this link at their site. The report also features prominently in the front pages of todays' Mumbai dailies (like DNA).

Chew on that if you will. Mumbai is out of the top 10 Indian cities in terms of doing business with ease. I've not read the report in its entirety and probably IFC might have used parameters that can be debated further. Indeed, we might find the ranking difficult to believe, considering the businesses that thrive in this city. Yet, IFC has made a point worth delving on, at least by our administration.

And yet, after reading it, the Finance Minister's recent intentions to make Mumbai a "regional financial centre" just sounded a bit hollow.

On a separate note, my apologies for not updating this blog often (as always due to pressures at my work place). I hope to put in more effort in the near future.

Mumbai Metro website now up

2007-03-05T10:49:00.000+05:30

The Mumbai Metro One (MM1) website is up and running. For a project that's not yet begun, it's a reasonably informative website.

However, once the project is up and running (stop rolling those eyes and please, a little less of the disbelief) I think they will have to significantly improve the website if they want to match the standards laid down by the Delhi Metro's website.

Here are my thoughts on some sections of the MM1 website

1. "About us" - From what's known in the press on the ownership of MM1 (i.e. specifically the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar, or VAG leg), Reliance Energy will hold 74% and MMRDA the balance 24%. No mention is made of this, at least not in the "About us" section. I don't know what to infer from this.

Interestingly enough, the "About Us" page of the Delhi Metro website says

DMRC has equal equity participation from GOI and GNCTD.

GNCTD being Govt. of National Capital Territory Delhi and GOI being Government of India. In case you didn't know, the Delhi Metro is entirely Government owned and, I'm assuming, Government operated.

2. "Quick facts" - Most of this section is known in the public domain and a lot of this page is technical stuff. I found this disclaimer, in the tariffs part, interesting.

Journey time: 21 minutes
Frequency: 3.5 minutes, going down to 3 minutes during peak hours
Fares # (2003-2004 level)
+ Rs. 6 upto 3 Kms.
+ Rs. 8 between 3 Kms.to 8 Kms.
+ Rs. 10 beyond 8 Kms.

# Fares indicated are for 2003-2004 level and shall be revised @ 11% every fourth year (rounded off to the nearest rupee). Fares shall be fixed by Government of Maharashtra, through a notification.

3. "Press room": Disappointing. They've put up scanned .PDFs of a handful of articles. Delhi Metro has press clippings going back 5 years (Jan-02). Perhaps not a fair comparison, considering that MM1 has just been formed.

4. "FAQs" - Reasonably good and again most of it known in the public domain. Would be good if they'd said something about the costing of MM1, or on the contentious issue of the Skybus being cheaper than the Metro (as pointed out by Sid in his comment here), but I'd be asking for too much I guess.

5. "Roadmaps" - What could be the spiffiest part of the website looks inadequate simply because you have to download 4 powerpoint files to figure out the map, distance, etc.. In any case, these files are all a grab/copy/paste of a Google Earth view of Mumbai, but marked with the VAG route and the planned stations. Though I found this page informative, I also found it a bit tacky and not user-friendly. Hopefully, this will be done up when MM1 is operational.

6. Right to information - This is the tricky part. I'm guessing that since Delhi Metro is Government-owned, it comes under the purview of RTI (sample DRMC's RTI page on its website here). Will this apply to MM1, which is 74% owned by Reliance Energy, and hence a privately-owned entity ? It would be sad if MM1 does not fall under RTI, because the message I'd get would be that since MM1 is private it's not answerable to anyone, including the commuters on its trains. For example, will we get annual reports for MM1 the way that the DRMC has put up on its site ?

Overall, I'm assuming that MM1 website is still in its initial phase and will be improved upon in the future.

Here are some websites of Metro Rail systems in other countries -
London Underground
NYC Transit (Thanks Rajesh for correcting, and helping, me here)
Beijing Subway
Guangzhou Metro
Singapore MRT
Tokyo Metro
Berlin Metro
Paris Metro

Also visit Wikipedia's list of Rapid Transport Systems

BMC Elections 2007 Winners

2007-03-02T18:22:00.000+05:30

These are the winners of the recently held BMC Elections.

Meet the 227 people - the Corporators of the Bombay Municipality Corporation (BMC) - who will run Mumbai on a daily basis for the next five years.

Key to read the data: The link in each ward will go to the BMC's page on the ward which will have a lot more details about the ward, i.e. data like population, the address and the phone number of the BMC office, etc. So, ideally, you should know which ward you belong to. Once you do, then search for your electoral ward number and you should find your corporator. If you still can't, leave a comment and I'll dig it out for you.

Ward A
224 Mahatma Phule - Churchgate Museum - Indira Docks
Vijaya Dhulla (Congress)

225 Brabourne Stadium - Colaba Market - Gateway of India
Vinod Shekhar (Congress)

226 Sasson Docks - World Trade Centre - Geeta Nagar
Geeta Kanojiya (Congress)

227 RC Church - Colaba Dandi - Navy Nagar
Prema Vijay Singh (Congress)

Ward B
221 Imamwaada - Dongri
Dyanraj Nikam (Congress)

222 Bengalipura - Princess Docks
Ansari Iklakh (Congress)

223 Musafir Khana - Victoria Docks
Waqarunnisa Ansari (Congress)

Ward C
217 Durgadevi Udyan - Madhavbaagh - Bhuleshwar
Vijay Vashirde (Shiv Sena)

218 Chandanwaadi - Chira Bazaar - Gymkhana
Vishakha Pednekar (Shiv Sena)

219 Mumbadevi - Mulji Jetha Market - Dhobi Talav
Janak Sanghavi (BJP)

220 Khara Talav - Null Bazaar - Ghoghari Mohalla
Gulshan Chauhan (Congress)

Ward D
210 Bellasis Chawl - Navjivan Society
Anahita Rusi Mehta (Congress)

211 Willingdon Sports Club - Bhatia Hospital
Bhavna Koli (Congress)

212 Mahalakshmi - AC Market - Oomer Park
Arvind Bane (BJP)

213 Priyadarshini Park - August Kranti Maidan
Yogita Singh Juikar (BJP)

214 Kamla Nehru Park - Rajbhavan
Pramod Mandrekar (Congress)

215 Prarthana Samaj - Opera House
Meenal Juvatkar (Shiv Sena)

216 Harkisandas N. Hospital - Khetwaadi
Kokila Parmar (BJP)

Ward E
202 Veermata Jijabai Udyan - Ghodapdeo - Mazgaon Docks (North)
Advocate Mangesh Bansod (NCP)

203 Kasturbha Hospital - India United Mills
Ramakant Rahate (Shiv Sena)

204 Byculla Railway Station - Municipality Colony
Vandana Gawli (ABS)

205 Nair Hospital - Byculla Agnishamakdal
Geeta Gawli (ABS)

206 Mazgaon Court - Madanpura
Afreen Fayyaz Ahmed (Congress)

207 Anjirwaadi Dockyard - Mazgaon Dock (East)
Yeshwant Jadhav (Shiv Sena)

208 Mastan Talav - JJ Hospital - Sales Tax Bhavan
Shaikh Rabiya Iqbal (Congress)

209 Kamathipura
Amin Patel (Congress)

Ward F-South
195 Ranjit Studio - Naigaon BDD Chawl
Shakuntala Mane (Congress)

196 Naigaon Police Parade Ground - BPT Hospital
Sunil More (Congress)

197 Mahatma Gandhi Nagar - Bhoiwaada
Parvati Gorivale (Shiv Sena)

198 India United Mills - Nare Park Sanjay Ambole (Shiv Sena)

199 KEM Hospital - Rajkamal Studio
Anil Pawar (Shiv Sena)

200 Veterinary Hospital - Abhyudaya Nagar
Dilip Shinde (Shiv Sena)

201 Cotton Green - Shivdi Fort
Prakash Chalke (Shiv Sena)

Ward F-North
165 Pratiksha Nagar - Sion
Mangesh Satamkar (Shiv sena)

166 Salt pans - Sion Trasit Camp
Ravi Raja(Congress)

167 LT Bloodbank - Shanmukhanda Hall
Upendra Doshi(Congress)

168 Ravli Hill
Harvinder Kaur Maniktala(Congress)

169 CGS Colony - Sector #3
Shraddha Jadhav(Shiv sena)

170 CGS Colony - Antop Hill
Niyaz Ahmed Vanu (NCP)

171 Sangam nagar
Darji Faridabanu (SP)

172 Korba Mithagar - Wadala saltpan
Presila Anil Kadam (Congress)

173 Lepers Home - BPT Hospital Colony
Hemant Doke (Shiv Sena)

174 Hindu Colony - Parsi Colony
Raghunath Thavai (Congress)

Ward G-South
186 ST Depot - Western Railway Workshop
Manohar Kamble (Shiv Sena)

187 TV Center - Prabhadevi
Jyoti Bhosale (Shiv Sena)

188 Worli Village
Sanjay Agaldhare (Shiv Sena)

189 Worli Dairy - Sasmira
Madhukar Dalvi (Shiv Sena)

190 Worli Dairy BDD Chawl
Jagdish Sawant (Shiv Sena)

191 Gandhinagar - Dawn Mills
Ashish Chemburkar (Shiv Sena)

192 Mahalakshmi Race course - Nehru Planetarium
Parshuram Desai (IND)

193 Shantinagar - Arthur Road Jail
Chandrakant Pugaonkar (BJP)

194 Parel BDD Chawl
Sunil Shinde (Shiv Sena)

Ward G-North
175 Bandra Kurla Complex - Mahim Kaala Killa
Parvati Dattu Katake -

176 Dharavi Transit Camp
Naresh Mane (Congress)

177 Kakkyadevi Mandir (Dharavi) - Khambadevi Nagar - Mukund Nagar
Sunanda Suryawanshi (Shiv Sena)

178 Western India Tanneries
Mahendra Shinde (Congress)

179 Mahim - Sonapur Labour Camp
Hanumanta Nandepalli (Congress)

180 Estrella Battery Company - Rajarshi Shahu Nagar
Mangala Gaikwad (Congress)

181 Mahim Killa - Mahim Police Quarters - Mahim Creek
Santosh Parab (Shiv sena)

182 Sitladevi Temple - National Hospital
Meena Desai (Congress)

183 Ruparel College - Matunga Workshop
Ajit Pandit (Shiv Sena)

184 Kaamgaar Krida Kendra - Dadar Railway Sthanak
Snehal Jadhav (Shiv sena)

185 Ravindra Natya Mandir - Shivaji Park
Pravin Devhare (Shiv sena)

Ward H-West
92 Khira Nagar - Saraswat Colony
Mohan Lokegaokar(Shiv sena)

93 Vitthaldas Nagar - Madhu Park (Khar West)
Ad.Ashish Shelar (BJP)

94 Khar Danda - Chuim Village
Vilas Chavri (IND)

95 Union Park - National College
Kavita Rodrigs (Congress)

96 Bandra Court - Pali Market - National Library
Asif Ahmed Zakeria(Congress)

97 Lilavati Hospital - Bandra Bus Terminal
Khan Rahebar (IND)

Ward H-East
81 Prabhat Colony - Anand Nagar
Ad.Dharmesh Vyas (Congress)

82 Vivekanand Nagar
Baliram Ghag (Shiv sena)

83 University Campus - Dharamsi College
Sanjay Potnis(Shiv sena)

84 Kalina Village - Santacruz
Terattil Alice Johnson (Congress)

85 Bharat Nagar (East)
Lalji Yadav (SP)

86 TPS 3 - Santacruz -Ashok Nagar
Vishwnath Mahadeshwar (Shiv sena)

87 Davri Colony - Khar Rifle Range
Krushna Parkar(BJP)

88 Teachers Colony - Jawahar Nagar
Sujata Mhaskar (Shiv sena)

89 Government Colony - Bharat Nagar (West)
Prakash Sawant (Shiv sena)

90 Bandra Terminus - Nirmal Nagar
Manmohan Chonkar (shiv sena)

91 Kherwadi
Mohmad Yunus Sheikh (Sp)

Ward K-East
66 Bandekarvaadi - Ismail College - Natwarnagar
Ujjwala Modak (BJP)

67 Jogeshwari Caves - Majasvaadi
Suresh Gangan(Shiv sena)

68 Meghwaadi - Shivneri Nagar
Ravindra Waikar(Shiv sena)

69 Shankarwaadi - Parsi Panchayat
Shailesh Parab(Shiv sena)

70 Squatters Colony - Tolani College
Shiekh Sabirabi (Congress)

71 Gundavali-Gaothan(West)
Rupali Pawaskar(Congress)

72 Gundavali (East) - ISIS Hospital
Ramesh Latke(Shiv sena)

73 Vyaravali - MIDC
Clive Dias (Congress)

74 Vijay Nagar - Bhavani Nagar
Roshan Dudvadkar (Congress)

75 Sahar Airport - Maroshi Village
Kamlesh Rai (Congress)

76 Chakala - Sahar Airport
Subhash Sawant(Shiv sena)

77 Sahar Village - Bamanvaada
Nitin Salagre (Congress)

78 MV College - Vijay Nagar - Coal Dongri
Manohar Panchal(Shiv Sena)

79 Tejpal Scheme - Paranjpe Scheme (Vile Parle East)
Shashikant Patkar (Shiv sena)

80 Vile Parle East Telephone Exchange
Chandrakant Pawar(BJP)

Ward K-West
53 Oshiwara - Bandivali (East)
Sayyad Bargena (SP)

54 Tarapore Garden
Rajul Patel (Shiv sena)

55 Swami Samarth Nagar
Yashodhar Phanse (Shiv sena)

56 Versova (North)
Chhaya Bhanji (Shiv sena)

57 Adarsh Nagar - Amboli Hill
Raju Pednekar (Shiv sena)

58 Shahaji Raje Krida Sankul - Malcolm Bagh
Vishnu Korgaonkar (Shiv sena)

59 Saat Bangla - Versova (South)
Devendra Amberkar (Congress)

60 Manish Nagar - Bhavans College
Jyotsna Dighe (Congress)

61 Gilbert Hill - Andheri Market
Khatija Makwana (Congress)

62 Lallubhai Park - Shreeram Jharoka
Bharti Ghongade (Congress)

63 BhaktiVedanta Mandir - Cooper Hospital
Adolf D'souza(IND)

64 SNDT - University Campus - Juhu Airport
Barudgar Aziz (Congress)

65 Vileparle (West) - Mithibai College
Jayanti Siroya (Congress)

Ward L
150 Tungve Village - Chandivali Village (West)
Sharad Pawar (Congress)

151 Chandivali Village (East)
Chitra Sangale (Shiv Sena)

152 Mohili Village
Kamlakar Jamsandekar (Shiv Sena)

153 Kajupada Hill - Asalpha Village
Harish Shukla (Shiv Sena)

154 Kamani Industries - Sakinaka
Shaila Lande (MNS)

155 Jari Mari
Annamalai S (Congress)

156 Premier Automobiles - Home Guards Training Centre
Sitaram Tiwari (BJP)

157 Wadia Estate - Hole Village - Premier Automobiles
Rajhans Singh (Congress)

158 Kurla Village - Dayanand Vidyalaya
Narayan Pawar (IND)

159 Vinoba Bhave Nagar
Shajiya Azmi (IND)

160 Kurla Terminus - Kaamgar Nagar
Shantaram Naik (Shiv sena)

161 Shikshak Nagar
Abdul Rashid Malik (NCP)

162 Nehru Nagar - Bhabha Hospital - Takia
Anuradha Pednekar (Shiv sena)

163 Kasai waada - Everhard Nagar
Rajendra Lad (MNS)

164 Swadeshi Mill - Eye Hospital
Vidya Bhoir(Shiv Sena)

Ward M-West
142 Anik - Mahul Village - RCF
Rajendra Mahulkar (NCP)

143 Suman Nagar - Sindhi Society
Jayashree Kharat(BJP)

144 Siddharth Colony - Vasant Park
Kisan Raju Mistry(Congress)

145 Sahakar Nagar
Gautam Sable (RPI)

146 Subhash Nagar - Beggars Home
Prakash Fatrphekar (Shiv sena)

147 Borla (Central) - Ghaatla Village
Mangala Kate (Shiv sena)

148 Jyoti Nagar - Rahul Nagar
Babasaheb Bansode (RPI)

149 Tilak Nagar - Chheda Nagar
Rajiv Chaugule (Shiv sena)

Ward M-East
129 Lotus Colony Rafiq Nagar
Suresh Patil (IND)

130 Shivaji Nagar #1
Anjum Fatima Aslam(IND)

131 Bainganwaadi
Sheikh Nurjaha (SP)

132 Shivaji Nagar #2 (West)
Sheikh Asma Ahmed Badshah (SP)

133 Shivaji Nagar #2 (East) - PMG Colony
Chaodhari Fazlurehman(SP)

134 Mankhurd Village - Mandala Village
Nirmaldevi Sigh(Congress)

135 Cheetah Camp
Sheikh Mohmad Farukh(IND)

136 Anushakti Nagar (BARC) - Trombay
Rahul Shewale (Shiv sena)

137 New Gautam Nagar
Vitthal Lokare(Congress)

138 Deonar Abbatoir
Sujata Vaghmare(RPI)

139 Deonar Village - Mankhurd Childrens Home
Shashikant Patil (Congress)

140 RCF Township
Devidas Borse(Congress)

141 Adarsh Nagar - HPCL - Anik Village
Rukmini Kharatmol(BJP)

Ward N
117 Rahul Nagar
Kashinath Tharli (Shiv sena)

118 Park Sight Colony - Vikroli Village
Khan Harun Yunus (NCP)

119 Damodar Park - Sanghani Estate
Saraswati Bhosale (Shiv sena)

120 Sarvodaya Hospital
Kumar Pandey (Shiv sena)

121 Bhimnagar - Ramnagar
Pravin Chheda(BJP)

122 Bhatvaadi - Barve Nagar
Shubhangi Shirke (Shiv sena)

123 Chirag Nagar - Narayan Nagar
Ashwini Mate (shiv sena)

124 Kirol Village - Ramji Ashar School
Shobha Ashar(BJP)

125 Pant Nagar
Suresh Golatkar (Congress)

126 Ramabai Nagar
Rakhi Jadhav (NCP)

127 Garodia Nagar - Somaiya College
Bhalchandra Shirsat (BJP)

128 Kamraj Nagar
Parmeshwar Kadam (MNS)

Ward P-South
45 Bangur Nagar - Sundar Nagar
Vidya Thakur (BJP)

46 Dindoshi - Pandurangvaadi
Shantu Bhosale (Shiv sena)

47 Aarey Colony (East)
Sunil Prabhu (Shiv sena)

48 Nirlon - Krishi Vidyapeeth - Jayprakash Nagar
Sumangal Koltharkar (Shiv Sena)

49 Unnat Nagar - Motilal Nagar #2
Sameer Desai (Congress)

50 Patkar College - Shastri Nagar
R.R. Pillai (Congress)

51 Motilal Nagar #1 - BEST Bus Depot
Dilip Shinde (Shiv sena)

52 Sidharth Nagar - Jawahar Nagar
Dilip Patel (BJP)

Ward P-North
29 Manori - Marve - Erangal - Akse - Daravli - Madh Beat
Renuka Dive (Shiv sena)

30 Vadnai Village - Kharodi Village - Malvani Colony
Suvarna Mdyalkar (Congress)

31 Adarsh Dughdalaya - Evershine Nagar
Jaya Tivana (Congress)

32 Bhadaran nagar - Maamledarwaadi
Baldevsingh Manku (Congress)

33 Pushpa Park
Dr.Ram Barot (BJP)

34 Tanaji Nagar
Anita Ghag (MNS)

35 Appa waadi
Bhomsingh Rathod (Congress)

36 Malad Hill Reservoir
Vidya Chavan(NCP)

37 Malad West (BMC Nagar)
Sadashiv Patil (Shiv sena)

38 Dhanjivaadi - Narsobavaadi - Kokani Paada
Ajit Raorane (NCP)

39 Pimpri Pada - Pathanwaadi
Ganpat Varise (Shiv sena)

40 Raheja Complex - Dindoshi
Ad.Dyanmurti Sharma (BJP)

41 Makrani Paada
Dikshita Shah (Congress)

42 Liberty Garden - Nadiadwala Colony
Supriya Pawar (MNS)

43 New Collectors Colony (Malad)
Aslam Sheikh (congress)

44 New Collectors Colony - MHB Colony
Sarika Gracious (NCP)

Ward R-South
18 Charkop (South) - Kandivali (West)
Shubhda Gudekar(Shiv sena)

19 Charkop - Industrial Estate
Kamlesh Yadav(congress)

20 Mahavir Nagar - Dahanukar vaadi
Shailaja Girkar (BJP)

21 Naravane Sanskritik Kendra - Arya Chanakya Nagar
Raju Vyas (congress)

22 Poisar Village Kandivali (West)
Shivkumar Jha (IND)

23 Poisar (East) - Rajaram nagar - Ashok Nagar
Ashok Sawant (shiv sena)

24 Samta Nagar - Dattani Park
Kshitija Pujary (Shiv Sena)

25 Damupada (Kandivali)
Rameshsingh Thakur (Congress)

26 Samta Nagar - M&M (Kandivali)
Ajanta Yadav (congress)

27 Devji Bhimji Colony - Paras Nagar
Yogesh Sagar (BJP)

28 Iranipada - Kandivali (West)
Geeta Yadav (Congress)

Ward R-Central
8 Gorai - MHB Coloni (Juni)
Sadanand Surve (Shiv sena)

9 Govind Nagar - Yogi Nagar
Vinod Ghedia(BJP)

10 Daulat Nagar - Nancy Colony
Namdeo Khursange (NCP)

11 Buncy Nagar - Tata Power House
Shirish Chaugule (MNS)

12 Dattpada
Vinay Patil (congress)

13 Rajendra Nagar - Khatau Estate
Simintini Narkar(Shiv sena)

14 Borivali TPS 3 - Kora Kendra
Pravin Shah (BJP)

15 Exser - Mamledar Vadi
Mohan Mithbaonkar (BJP)

16 Chikuvadi - Kanti Park - MHB Colony (New)
Bharti Keni(BJP)

17 Charkop (North)
Sandhya Doshi (NCP)

Ward R-North
1 Kandarpada IC Colony
Sheetal Mhatre (congress)

2 Gaodevi Dahisar (East)
Bhalchandra Mhatre (Shiv sena)

3 Ketakipada - Shailendra Nagar
Rajendra Choube (congress)

4 Vaishali Nagar
Bhavna Bhagat (Shiv sena)

5 Ashokvan - Chintamani Nagar
Sujata Patekar(Shiv sena)

6 Ambavadi - Ovripada
Prakash Karkar (Shiv sena)

7 Mandapeshwar
Dr.Shubha Raul (Shiv sena)

Ward S
104 Milind Nagar - Gaodevi Hills
Suresh Koparkar(Congress)

105 Bhandup village
Sangeeta Patil (congress)

106 Gaodevi
Suresh Shinde (Shiv sena)

107 Nardas nagar
Ramesh Korgaonkar (Shiv sena)

108 Kokan Nagar - Bhattipada
Snehlata Dalvi(Shiv sena)

109 Hanuman Nagar - Farid Nagar
Kashinath Karadkar ( Congress)

110 Datar Colony - CGS Quarters
Bharti Pisal (NCP)

111 Kanjur Village
Minakshi Patil(Shiv sena)

112 Kannamvaar Nagar
Mangesh Sangale (MNS)

113 Tagore Nagar
Tavji Gorule(shiv sena)

114 Hariyali Village Godrej Colony
Rashmi Pahudkar(Shiv sena)

115 Aden Bungalows - Tirandaz Village
Charu Sharma (NCP)

116 Vihar Lake - Powai Lake - Passpoli Village
Anjali Darade (Congress)

Ward T
98 Mulund Colony - Tulsi Talav
Vishwanath Maske(BJP)

99 Mulund Checknaka - ISIS Hospital
Manoj Kotak (BJP)

100 Topivala College - Gavanpaada-MHADA Nagar
Jyoti Vaity (Shiv sena)

101 Nane Paada - Palm Acres
Prabhakar Shinde (Shiv sena)

102 Mulund - Central
Amita Shah(BJP)

103 Johnson & Johnson - Sarvodaya Nagar - Nahur Village
Dr.A.K.Sokhi(Congress)

Power to the people

2007-02-23T18:33:00.000+05:30

From the Bagehot column of the current Economist, I read that British Prime Minister Tony Blair has responded to an online e-petition by citizens protesting against the implementation of a national vehicle-tracking system aimed at taxing motorists each time they drove their car. The article says..

The petition demands that the government abandon proposals to establish a national vehicle-tracking system that would be used to tax motorists every time they drove their cars. Through exaggeration and distortion the petition has rather brilliantly united the motoring, anti-tax and civil-liberties lobbies. [Full article here, paid registration required]

I noted a few things here.

1. The British Government encourages petitions, that too on its own website. This is the e-petition page, and this is the specific e-petition being referred to in the Economist article.

The idea of tracking every vehicle at all times is sinister and wrong. Road pricing is already here with the high level of taxation on fuel. The more you travel - the more tax you pay. It will be an unfair tax on those who live apart from families and poorer people who will not be able to afford the high monthly costs. Please Mr Blair - forget about road pricing and concentrate on improving our roads to reduce congestion.[>>]

2. The Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, has responded to the petition. Read his reply here. An extract below

One thing I suspect we can all agree is that congestion is bad. It's bad for business because it disrupts the delivery of goods and services. It affects people's quality of life. And it is bad for the environment. That is why tackling congestion is a key priority for any Government.

Congestion is predicted to increase by 25% by 2015. This is being driven by economic prosperity. There are 6 million more vehicles on the road now than in 1997, and predictions are that this trend will continue. Part of the solution is to improve public transport, and to make the most of the existing road network. We have more than doubled investment since 1997, spending £2.5 billion this year on buses and over £4 billion on trains- helping to explain why more people are using them than for decades. And we're committed to sustaining this investment, with over £140 billion of investment planned between now and 2015. We're also putting a great deal of effort into improving traffic flows - for example, over 1000 Highways Agency Traffic Officers now help to keep motorway traffic moving. [>>]

3. The concept of road pricing itself, which has been so vehemently opposed by the public in the e-petition. From the British Department for Transport's FAQs on road pricing -

Road pricing involves changing the way we pay for road use, to better reflect usage. It is not about stopping people travelling - rather addressing the concentration of vehicles on particular roads at specific times of day.

Research suggests that well designed road pricing schemes, alongside improved public transport, can lead to significant reductions in congestion. Through only a very small shift in travel patterns, significant reductions in congestion can be achieved. Shifts in travel patterns can be achieved in a number of ways, for example travelling at a different time of day and using public transport - road pricing is not about stopping people from travelling.[>>]

I couldn't help thinking how far Mumbai is from London (no pun intended, partially). Perhaps, the comparison isn't fair. But there a few things to ponder about, such as these

How informative and progressive are Government and Government agency websites?

Surprisingly informative. I found it hard to believe but if you spend time on the sites of the Maharashtra State Government, the BMC, MMRDA and other agencies, you'd be surprised with the data they've uploaded. Almost all my posts on this blog are based on data taken from these websites.

In an earlier post, I had given an example of how the Maharashtra Election Commission had uploaded the electoral rolls as PDFs on their website (check it out here). This was an eye-opener to me.

So, the point I'm making is that we might not be as progressive as to invite e-petitions, and our websites might not be as well designed as 10, Downing Street. But I think we've come some way in providing information to the public. We might have a long way to go, but I think we're at least in the right direction.

Can the Maharashtra State Government, or for that matter, the BMC, invite citizen participation on critical matters like congestion ?

But first, is citizen participation even necessary ? No, don't get me wrong. Think about it. Will ordinary people take time out to get involved in issues concerning the city ? Besides, how well-informed are they ? I mean, would you rather that NGOs, ordinary citizens, netizens and their ilk get actively involved in Mumbai's problems ? Aren't they already ? And what have they achieved ?

To be fair, agencies like AGNI and ADR have done some commendable work in the recent BMC elections. To be fair, advanced locality management (ALM) have done a lot to change things in some areas in Mumbai. And to be fair, our State Government itself has advocated the concept of Citizens Action Group.

So, there is no doubt in my mind that we, as citizens, can make a difference, but the efforts can be more productive if they were ran hand-in-hand with Government agencies. Not counter.

Which then brings me to Government agencies themselves...

How much can be achieved if governance at these agencies is improved ? A lot. Think about it. If the Road Transport Office (RTO) gets strict on vehicles offending no-parking zones, wouldn't that improve traffic flow during peak hours ? How many times have you noticed cars casually parked under "no parking" signs (and I see as many taxis as I see office-goers talking on their mobile phones, both with their vehicles parked under the signs)

The point I'm making is simply this - If the Government needs to make itself more open and more consultative to us, we need to be more focused on changing things. In this direction, I was glad to note that the Vote Mumbai campaign notched up its first success with Adolf D'Souza winning the recent BMC Elections from his Juhu Ward.

And finally..
Is a congestion tax effective ? Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh had specifically ruled out a congestion tax in Mumbai (I can't locate the link although I remember he said so in an interview to Hindustan Times).

Is that good or bad ? What was the experience in London ? The same Economist article notes

This week Transport for London, the mayor's own transport body, was forced to admit that congestion is only 8% lower than it was before the charge was introduced. TfL thinks the extension is likely to make things even worse because of residents' discounts within the expanded zone.

So much for that idea.

Mumbai Metro - oh no, not again

2007-02-15T20:47:00.000+05:30

11kms. It’s not much really. It’s roughly the distance between Nariman Point and Prabhadevi or Churchgate to Lower Parel. Or Versova to Ghatkopar via Andheri (lets call it VAG) – the distance of the first leg of the Mumbai Metro.

Rs650crores. That’s a lot of money. Depends on your point of view though. For example the BMC has an annual budget of about Rs7,000crore to maintain the city. For example the Bandra Worli Sea Link is estimated to cost Rs1,306cr. For example, the entire Mumbai Metro project will cost – at least in today’s times – Rs20,000crores. Lots of zeroes there.

But I digress.

A question of viability
How much is Rs650crores ? A lot of money. It’s what will make construction of the VAG leg profitable for Reliance Energy, the contractors of the project.

If you recall, the VAG leg of the Mumbai Metro Project is a partnership between the Maharashtra State Government (as represented by the MMRDA) and Reliance Energy (REL). It's an example of a public-private partnership. It's also seen as the way forward in India for large (any?) infrastructure projects where the State is constrained to invest a large amount…because the State is most likely steeped in debt and pretty much flat broke.

However, for the private partner it makes sense. Besides making sense, the project should also make money. Profits. You know, the concept of returns, enterprise and such like. Nothing wrong with that.

So far so good ? But here’s the problem for the Mumbai Metro. Until Rs650crores is funded into the project by someone, the project will not be financially viable for REL. While the State Government feels the Central Government should foot the bill, the Central Government thinks otherwise.

The Central Government argues: The Mumbai Metro bidding had been completed before the setting up of the Centre’s Private-Public Action Committee. So, how can the Government approve its funding, if its committee was not in existence at the time of the bidding. Dicey logic ? There’s more.

The cost. At a whopping Rs215crore/km (simply Rs2,356crores divided by 11kms), VAG is almost twice as costly as the Delhi Metro (Rs120crore/km). Of course, the VAG leg will also be overhead (and not underground), but, I’m not an engineer or a consultant to figure the costing nuances between the two. This, it seems, is too expensive for the Central Government.

The State Government’s case: The Prime Minister gave his word when he laid the foundation stone of the Metro last year. Its time for him to live up to his word. Moreover, if the Centre can foot the bill for the Delhi and Kolkata Metro, why not Mumbai ?

And that's where this is at. This is where the Mumbai Metro is currently stalled.

Now, consider the timeline if you may -

1967-68: A Govt. of Maharashtra study on notes the possibility of a new rapid transit system such as underground rail

1973 (Regional Plan): Cautions against capital intensive projects like the Metro, suggesting instead decongesting South Mumbai, moving economic activities to Bandra Kurla, Navi Mumbai, etc.

1974: Indian Railways comes up with a plan for a Colaba-Kurla underground rail, which is shelved because its too expensive

1997: Tata Consultancy Services prepares a feasibility study on the Metro

1999: Chief Minister Narayan Rane assures a Mumbai Metro Planning Group that the project is "under consideration by the Cabinet sub-committee"

2004: MMRDA presents a master plan to Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde

2005: Delhi Metro Chairman Mr. E. Sreedharan presents Phase 1 of the project to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who approves it.

Jan-March 2006: Maharashtra Cabinet finally approves VAG, financial bids are called for.

May 2006: Disagreement between Reliance Energy - then the lowest potential bidder - and MMRDA over viability gap funding. While REL cites a number of Rs1,251crores, the MMRDA wants a number of Rs650crores. MMRDA wins and REL are awarded the contract.

June 2006: The Prime Minister lays the foundation stone for the Mumbai Metro

October 2006: First signs of problems between the Central and State Government.

February 2007: Present day. No resolution.

Getting nowhere in a hurry
Think about that. That's all the development that this State Government, or for that matter, the Central Government has been able to achieve. Leave alone construction of the Metro, leave alone the thorny issue of relief and rehabilitation of the people whose houses and offices will have to be removed for this project, leave alone the controversies surrounding of why such a project was chosen instead of cheaper projects like the Skybus, BRTS, upgrading the existing rail network...leave all of those past, present and future issues, all of it alone.

The fact of the matter is that we've gotten nowhere. Mumbai has gotten nowhere closer to the Metro. Think about it. 40 years - 1967 to 2007. And the politicians, planners, even us as people, have moved nowhere on the Mumbai Metro.

Frustrating ? Of course it is. It only goes to yet again underscore the fact that development and infrastructure will always be one part politics and no part necessity. And the kind of resolve, political will and sheer focus required to improve life in this city is sadly missing in the leaders we've chosen.

[Note: this is part of an ongoing series on this blog on the Mumbai Metro. For other posts on this issue, click on this label here.]

Where the extra half hour came from

2007-02-05T20:35:00.000+05:30

I read this piece by Tom Friedman on the "The Oil-Addicted Ayatollahs" in the New York Times. While this post doesn't have anything to do with that topic, I like the way he's worded this part.

It is hard to come to Moscow and not notice what the last five years of high oil prices have done for middle-class consumption here. Five years ago, it took me 35 minutes to drive from the Kremlin to Moscow’s airport. On Monday, it took me two and half hours. There was one long traffic jam from central Moscow to the airport, because a city built for 30,000 cars, which 10 years ago had 300,000 cars, today has three million cars and a ring of new suburbs. [Full article link here, paid registration required]

Sounds familiar ? Here are some statistics to chew on for Mumbai -

36 years back, in 1971, there were a sum total of 152,082 vehicles on the road.

Ten years later, in 1981, this increased to 351,796.

Twenty years later, in 2001, it stood at 1,029,563.

Around Aug-06, there were about 1.2m vehicles on the road.

Anyone visiting Mumbai after 5 years ? Would love to hear from you what changes you've seen.

I know it takes me half hour more to reach home on a road built to occupy far, far less vehicles than it does today.

Note - data displayed above has been taken from MMRDA (link here), BMC (link here) and a newspaper whose link I do not have, but photo I do have.

Technorati tags: India, Mumbai, MMRDA, infrastructure
roads

The day after

2007-02-02T14:09:00.000+05:30

A few news articles worthy of mention today, the day after the BMC elections.

First up - three housing societies in Goregaon had a voter turnout of 90%, or 6,000 people. Mumbai's average ? 45%. Shabbash Mumbaikars. Chaan kaam kela.

Get that once again - three housing societies, 6,000 people. 90% turnout.

The secret ? jalebi, gathiya, chola bhature, khandvi-dhokla. Aao maaro saathe jamvaana.

No - that's not what the political parties bribed these 6,000 people to come out and vote for them. From today's Mumbai Mirror front page article -

The residents of Neelkanth Valley went a step further. Not only did they ensure that every voter from their society cast his/her vote, they had a party too. Caterers were hired to serve elaborate meals at the society’s plush club. Chola bhatura, uttappam, khandvi-dhokla, misal pav among several other delicacies were used to bait voters. “Everybody is on a holiday mode on polling days. Many take the day off from work. This time we collectively decided that we would turn this into a celebration to garner maximum turnout,” said Rajesh Shah, secretary, Neelkanth Valley Federation.[>>]

Meanwhile, down South in our city, the areas of Colaba, Walkeshwar, Malabar Hill and Cuffe Parade recorded a turnout of (estimated) 30%. Here's what one resident has to say (from an article in the Indian Express today)

Shirley Gupta, who lives near Banganga, said she refused to vote since she thinks there is ‘’unequal representation’’ of candidates as far as plush areas are concerned. “There needs to be a candidate who understands the problems of this society and identifies with the electorate,” she said. Pointing out how Little Gibbs Road was placed in the same ward as August Kranti Maidan, she said: “These are different areas with different problems, and none can identify with the other,” she added.[>>]

Oh ok, so its not all that bad in South and Central Mumbai. As DNA reports today

During the last civic election, according to analysts, about 12 per cent of Colaba and Cuffe Parade managed to get out of their homes to vote. This year, the figure crossed 25 per cent. Abysmal, but better. However, the low percentage this year, apart from apathy, could also omission of names from official voting lists and problems associated with delimitation.[>>]

Technorati tags: India, Maharashtra, Mumbai, BMC Elections 2007, politics, Elections, government.

BMC elections 2007 - a checklist

2007-01-29T14:40:00.000+05:30

BMC elections take place today.

How to vote -
You should have received your election slip notifying you of your polling station. This, of course, assumes that you are on the election roll in the first place*.

To know if you are on the roll, go to the Chief Electoral Officer’s website here and click on the "Search Electoral Rolls" link on your right. Believe it or not, the Maharashtra State Government has put the entire electoral roll on the internet.

So, please check if your name is there on the rolls. In fact, not only your name, you can check if your family’s name – AND –that of your entire neighbourhood is there on the roll. Phew!

Along with the election slip, carry some proof of identification (driving license, passport, etc for a more comprehensive list, go here).

Carry the Election slip + proof of ID and cast your vote at the polling station.

Who to vote for

1. Which ward do you stay in?
Mumbai is divided 24 "Administrative wards" that run from A through T, loosely following a south-to-north flow. Each ward has its own boundaries. The first administrative ward, i.e. Ward A starts roughly at Navy Nagar and covers Churchgate, Colaba, Fort, etc. while the last ward is Ward T which roughly covers Airoli, Mulund and Borivali.

To know your administrative ward (i.e. A to T) by your railway station go to the drop-down menu at Agni's website here.

Once you have the ward alphabet, to know more about your ward (like its population- male and female, how many eateries - yes eateries - it has, etc) go to the BMC's ward-wise page here.

By locality, these areas are then divided (this time numerically) into 227 "Electoral Wards". For example, Khira Nagar comes under Ward No. 92, Pali Market is covered under Ward No. 96, Lilavati Hospital comes under Ward No. 97, so on and so forth.

Your election slip should already have your ward number, but in any case to get your ward number (i.e. 1 to 227) download this is a PowerPoint file in Marathi here .

2. Who is your current councillor?
Each electoral ward then has its own BMC councillor. These councillors run your electoral ward. Think of it as the person in charge for maintaining your neighbourhood.

To know your councillor, just go straight to the BMC website and find out who your current councillor is, by typing your administrative ward (i.e. A, B, C, etc).

3. Finally, who to choose
In an earlier post, I’d mentioned how AGNI and ADR are rating all the BMC candidates.

The ratings have been completed and are being carried in the Mumbai Mirror newspaper. In all there are some 3,600 candidates for the 227 ward councillor seats. Given below are the links to the ratings of all the candidates per electoral ward number.

So, get your election slip and check your ward number.

Then click on the relevant link below for your ward.

You should see the list of candidates standing for the elections in your local ward, along with their ratings (ranked 1 to 5, where 5 stars means ..er.."Wow")

Note - in some cases, the numbering is not continuous (like Ward 93 which is listed separately)

Ward nos. 1 to 39 link here

Ward nos. 40 to 57 link here

Ward nos. 58 to 85 link here

Ward nos. 86 to 126 link here

Ward nos 127 to 151 link here

Ward nos 152 to 187 (and 93) link here

Ward nos 188 to 217 link here

Ward nos 218 to 227 (incl. 83 and 149) link here (list concluded)

Update: ADR has put these ratings on their own website.

It really can't get bigger than this. A billion dollar budget, 15million people, a city in a mess. Have your say.

Go vote.

* - if your name is not there on the list, you've probably missed out on the deadline for this election. Visit/call/e-mail AGNI and Karmayog for further details.

Technorati tags: India, Maharashtra, Mumbai, BMC Elections 2007, politics, Elections, government.

Blog interrupted (a bit)

2007-01-24T16:11:00.000+05:30

It's been a while since regular programming, thanks largely to constraints imposed on time, due to pressures at work. I regret this interruption and hope to be back soon.

Mumbai: Curtain raiser 2007

2007-01-03T10:46:00.000+05:30

And you thought 2006 was bad ? Consider this. In all likelihood, 2007 could well see more roads being dug up, more homes rehabilitated and more projects being approved or kicked off (which will require both of the above), than the city has seen in recent history.

Here’s a preview of some of key events that will shape Mumbai in 2007.

Politics and governance – a year of reckoning
It doesn’t get bigger than this. India’s richest civic body, the Bombay Municipal Corp., goes to polls on Feb 1st 2007. Recall that the BMC is currently being run by the BJP-Shiv Sena, while the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is chaired by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. There’s been enough tension between both organisations on who takes credit (and blame?) for what in the city.

The ruling state combine of the Indian National Congress Party + Nationalist Congress Party could choose to go it alone in the polls (read ‘yet to decide on final seat-sharing between both parties’) given that the opposition BJP-Shiv Sena combine is facing its own set of issues.

However, things within the Congress Party aren’t exactly hunky dory. As if in-party opposition from Mumbai Regional Congress Committee Chairman, Gurudas Kamath wasn’t enough, Chief Minister Deshmukh also has to cope with the rising prominence of ex-Shiv Sainik, Narayan Rane who is gathering enough support to put him within shooting distance of the plum Chief Minister post.

Victory for the Congress would mean ruling the BMC and the MMRDA – enough to die for. Victory for the BJP-Shiv Sena would mean a new lease of life. More importantly, the performance of all these political parties will largely be seen as a precursor to the assembly elections in 2009.

Then there are the smaller parties, like Arun Gawli’s Akhil Bhartiya Sena and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena who could make life difficult from the larger parties. Also watch out for the debut of Lok Paritran which is fielding three candidates for the elections.

Finally, Mumbaikars themselves are gearing up for the polls. For example, in the posh suburb of Juhu, a citizen welfare group, tired of the lack of governance, and backed by the Votemumbai governance model, will be fielding their own candidates for the BMC elections. Action for Good Governance and networking in India (AGNI) and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) are finalising a system of rating candidates and Karmayog, an effort of bringing together NGOs, is running a campaign of raising awareness among citizens ahead of the civic elections.

If you stay in Mumbai, I'd like to take this opportunity to urge you to vote on Feb 1st. To know more, especially if you want to ensure you get to vote do visit the websites of AGNI and karmayog.

Infrastructure and transport – Waiting to exhale
Almost every transport project in the city is facing inordinate delays.

Take the Mumbai Metro Rail. Or at least the one leg (Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar or VAG) which saw the light of day in July-2006. Precious little has been moved since the Prime Minister himself flagged off this project. Newspaper reports suggest that the issue of viability gap funding is yet to be resolved, leave alone actual construction work for this massive project. Also bear in mind, that while the VAG leg has been awarded to Reliance Energy, the other legs of the Metro (for example, Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd) have yet to be awarded. Hope for some progress on this front in 2007.

On the roads front, both the important road projects under the MMRDA’s Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), i.e. the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) and the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR), have seen cost overruns and delays in execution. They also survived a scare of the World Bank temporarily suspending its funding for these projects in March-2006. Hopefully lessons have been learnt on the relief-rehab issues for this project to see its final light of day.

Work on the Bandra-Worli Sealink (BWSL) has been completed from the Bandra end, and 2007 should see completion of work on the Worli end, if this project has to meet its deadline of early-2008. However, with virtually no visible progress on the Worli-Nariman Point Sealink, one wonders about the overall efficacy of the BWSL to resolve the north-south traffic issues in the city. Moreover, the silence on the Peddar Road Flyover is deafening and perhaps one could hear some noise on this front in 2007.

Some noise in 2007 could also do all the world of good for the ambitious Mumbai Transharbour Sealink, another decades-old project that has barely seen any progress. This link remains vital for the proposed Special Economic Zones (SEZ) across the Eastern shores in Navi Mumbai.

On the rail front, work will continue in 2007 on the rail portion of the MUTP, mainly (a) the fifth line from Borivali to Mahim (currently laid down from Santacruz to Mahim), (b) the additional pair of tracks between Kurla and Thane (45% complete per MMRDA website) and (c) additional pair of tracks between Borivali and Virar. There is also some talk of reintroduction of trams in Mumbai.

On the drainage front, the Bombay Municipal Corp’s decades-old Storm Water Drainage Project (BRIMSTOWAD) finally received approval from the Central Government in 2006. However given the size and timeline of this Rs1,200crore-project, one could be a tad optimistic in expecting a flood-free Mumbai this monsoon.

Real estate – Opening up or up and away?
As discussed in an earlier post, while a lot of ‘supply’ has been released, one wonders if these will get property prices down in Mumbai. For starters, headline property rates could see a spike with the new housing policy (which calls for carpet-area based transactions as against built-up area) coming into effect in 2007.

The National Textile Corp (NTC) is due to put its mills on the block in 2007, following last year’s Supreme Court verdict on this controversial issue. While what price they fetch is keenly awaited, the impact of these sales on property prices in 2007 (at least in the Mill Land areas), will depend on how much of these areas are used for commercial purposes and for residential purposes. Similarly, redevelopment will continue at its frenzied pace in the suburbs in 2007, more so now with the bans on development in specified corridors being lifted in 2006.

The Urban Land Ceiling Regulation Act (ULCRA) is likely to be repealed – at least if funds from the Centre for Mumbai’s infrastructure are to be expected – in 2007, which, (or at least the Chief Minister so expects), could get property prices down in Mumbai. Progress on opening up of the Mumbai Port Trust lands and use of Mumbai’s salt pans will be other key events to watch out for in 2007.

Technorati tags: India, Maharashtra, Mumbai, BMC Elections 2007, Navi Mumbai, politics, government, housing, real estate, urban development, urban planning, MMRDA, World Bank, MUTP, Bandra Worli Sea Link, BWSL, Mumbai Transharbour Sea Link, MTHL, Mumbai Metro Rail, SEZ.

Full House Mumbai

2006-12-07T15:22:00.000+05:30

The following piece appeared in this week's Hafta, where I'm also now on vacation for about a month. Regular posting on this blog will also come down till year-end given chutti commitments.

*****

What will it take to get real-estate prices in the city down? If the Government was to be believed, increasing supply of land is one such measure. In fact, recent Court verdicts in the city are also expected to release large tracts of land for development.

We take you through some of these key Government decisions and court verdicts, all of which are focused on real estate issues in Mumbai.

1. The Mumbai Mill Land Case - In March 2006, the Supreme Court freed up redevelopment of Mumbai's Mill Lands by holding that that the term "open spaces" does not include lands vacant after demolition. The interpretation of this term lay at the heart of a protracted battle between environmentalists and builders. The Supreme Court verdict which paved the way for mill owners to retain, and hence redevelop, a higher area of their mills, was supposed to have helped in raising supply of land and ease property prices. Blame it on bad execution on the part of the Government but nine months after the verdict, property prices in the Mill Land area, as well as in the suburbs (where prices were supposed to have crashed with land now becoming available in areas closer to the central business district) have only gone up.

2. Housing Policy – The first-ever housing policy released by the Maharashtra State Government last month was a directionless damp squib with the only key highlight being a move towards a transparent carpet-area based mechanism for land transactions. As discussed in an earlier Hafta piece, the Government, in what seems to be a naïve assumption, expects this move to bring property prices down. Another proposal in the policy provides for a higher floor-space-index (FSI) in Mumbai's extended suburbs, which again implies raising supply. Experts and planners do not expect any meaningful impact from the draft housing policy. And other than the Chief Minister himself, no one seems to believe that any measure in the housing policy will get real estate prices anywhere in the city to come down.

3. Repealing the Urban Land Ceiling Regulation Act (ULCRA) – A product of the Emergency era, the ULCRA, is aimed at enabling the Government to acquire surplus land to provide housing for the masses. While the Government has fallen abysmally short in this noble intention, builders, thanks to politicians, have found their way around the Act by using exemptions. Repealing the Act is also necessary for getting infrastructure funding under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (also discussed in an earlier Hafta piece). The Chief Minister expects that repealing the Act would increase supply of land in the market and hence get real-estate prices down. Yet again, the CM's theory has not found too many takers and experts and planners do not expect repealing of the Act to cool off real-estate prices in Mumbai.

4. Lifting restrictions on congested corridors – The Bombay High Court recently upheld the Maharashtra State Government's policy on transfer of development rights (TDR) and lifted restrictions (earlier in place post a PIL filed by Bhagwanji Rayani) on constructions in certain corridors between the Western Express and Eastern Express Highways. TDR, a development right given to builders that surrender land to the Bombay Municipal Corp., has also been termed a "boon" for co-operative societies of old buildings. Following the introduction of TDR (in 1991) many suburban societies have given up their old structures to builders in return for larger flats in newer – and taller – buildings. The Bombay High Court's verdict effectively releases more area for development and is expected to cool off property prices in the suburbs. The jury's still out on whether this measure will bring down real-estate prices in the city, but don't expect to find too many believers here - TDR prices themselves rose 20% in a single day after the verdict.

Going through these verdicts and Government decisions, one is tempted to see the builders smiling all the way to the bank. After all, this is a city known for its builder-politician nexus.

One key issue is the kind of infrastructure that would be required to bear the burden of more houses, more families and more businesses. The MMRDA is already having a tough time meeting targets for its existing projects, so we'd rather not do any crystal-ball gazing on the impact of these new constructions on the city's infrastructure.

However, no crystal-ball gazing is required to predict where property prices in Mumbai are headed. If recent deals are to be believed (for e.g ., the 3,000 sqft. Cuffe Parade flat which went for Rs22crores, i.e. Rs73,000/sqft) the only way seems to be up.

*****

Technorati tags: India, Mumbai, housing, Real Estate, politics, Law, Government.

On the Economist's concerns on India

2006-11-28T10:17:00.000+05:30

I've reproduced a comment I made on some concerns that blogger Pramit Singh posted on, after reading this recent Economist article.

(Also, thanks, VD, for your inputs on everything below).

Consumer-price inflation has risen to almost 7% well above Asia's average rate of 2.5%.

What is the composition of CPI ? Besides, ask yourself, has your grocery bill sky-rocketed ? Please remember that Asia’s consumption basket will be different from India and would include electronics whose prices have been declining in India. Look at mobile bills.. they’ve crashed in the last couple of years, or at the bare minimum, you're paying less for talking more. Cars have become cheaper. The only thing that’s become more costly is petrol, which has nothing to do with Indian economics.

In a survey of 600 firms by the National Council of Applied Economics Research … 96% of firms reported that they were operating close to or above their optimal levels of capacity utilisation—the highest number ever recorded

Isn’t that good ? it indicates high capital efficiency. Btw, did you know India has among the highest ROEs in the world ? which means we’re sweating our assets better. Also remember that these capacities were built almost a decade back and if you’ve got India shining then dude, these 10-year old capacities are going to be exhausted and in need for expansion. And also have a look at the booming capital goods sector which amply demonstrates that Indian companies armed with stronger balance sheets are also seeing visible demand growth and are hence reinvesting.

Indian companies are also experiencing a serious shortage of skilled labour

True, but isn’t that good for the educated because their salaries will keep rising much ahead of inflation which you already think is high ? Sure, this also has to do with the Government’s policy on education and they better do something about it.

Wages are rocketing. Companies' total wage costs in the six months to September were 22% higher than a year earlier, compared with an average increase of around 12% in the previous four years

And despite this, companies have been able to grow profits. Also remember wage inflation is not necessarily bad especially in a growing economy, because it increases spending power which uplifts the rest of the economy as well. Just count how much money you spent on your last shopping spree/holiday/visit to PVR

India's current account has shifted to a forecast deficit of 3% of GDP this year from a surplus of 1.5% in 2003—a classic sign of excess demand

And high oil prices is a major contributor to this. Anyways, a growing economy will need more capital expenditure on machinery (as said above), some of which will need to be imported a lot of the time. The way IT revenues are growing, I think this issue will be resolved soon.

Total bank lending has expanded by 30% over the past year, close to the fastest growth on record –

Isn’t that also good ? India is an under-banked economy and there’s a lot of catching up to do with the rest of the world. Besides, how else will Chunnu and Munnu get their Maruti if banks aren’t eager to lend ? And same goes for the farmer who wants to buy a tractor to improve his efficiency

Share prices are almost four times their level in early 2003. India's price/earnings ratio of 20 is well above the average of 14 for all Asian emerging markets –

The other “Asian emerging markets” have sectors like steel, mining, semi-conductor manufacturing as dominant sectors in their indexes. These sectors by definition are highly capital intensive, have low return on capital and hence trade at lower PEs. FYI, Tata Steel in India trades at 6x PE and Hindalco at 10x PE. Perhaps you could invest your money in commodities and lower the PE of your portfolio.

House prices have also gone through the roof: …prices in big cities have more than doubled in the past two years. Housing loans jumped by 54% in the year to June and loans for commercial property were up by 102%

Agree. But the wealth effect that this is creating is spurring consumption. Ask people who own property, if their spending pattern has changed as their property value increased, or at the very bare minimum are they feeling better. In the IT sector, five years into his/her job, an employee can afford a house priced at Rs50lakhs, which was unthinkable 5 years back. Affordability has increased, thanks to wage inflation (referred to above by yourself) and credit growth (ditto).

- India vs. China: In China, Inflation is only 1.4% and it has a widening current-account surplus, which implies excess supply rather than excess demand

I find it strange that the Economist, itself a vocal critic of the lack of transparency in China’s economic data, harps on these numbers. Anyways, China has a current account surplus but screwed efficiencies. Meaning – they just throw (invest) money into capacity creation with no caution to ROEs, etc. Ever wonder why their famous expressways, even in smaller cities, happen to be empty at times ? Does the Economist have any numbers for China’s capacity utilization in any sector ?

Moreover, average house prices have risen by less than 6% in the past 12 months. And share prices have gained only 42% in the past four years. Even the expansion of bank credit has slowed to an annual pace of 15%, not much faster than nominal GDP growth

I didn’t get your argument here. Are you saying that the growth in housing prices/share prices/bank credit should rise further or has started declining ?

Technorati tags: India, economy, economics, Economist Magazine

Election Time

2006-11-26T10:47:00.000+05:30

The following piece appeared in last week's Hafta. Comments welcome. I think Mumbai's civic polls could well be a big turning point for the city.

*****

The Brihanmumbai Mahanagarpalika, or Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, or just plain old BMC, goes to the polls early next year, to be precise, on 28th January with a provisional date of Feb 4th, both of which are Sundays as per norm. With a budget of Rs9,865crores (or more than US$ 2billion), the BMC is the richest civic body in India. Understandably so, considering its mandate is to keep Mumbai running. To use the BMCs own words:

"The primary agency responsible for urban governance in Greater Mumbai is the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). MCGM is the most affluent and the most efficient local body in the country and one of the biggest local governments in the Asian continent. It is responsible for provision of municipal services, provision of infrastructure including public transport and supply of electricity. Its planning department is responsible for the Development Plan of the City and enforcement of the Development Control Regulations. It is not directly involved in public housing, however, it is responsible for providing basic amenities to slums, which are encroaching on its own lands or other lands within its jurisdiction."

The other, and more relevant, aspect to the BMC is taking the blame for every breakdown this city has (and God knows how many of those we have everyday). Yet, Mumbai's civic polls are all set to be a major turning point for the cities fortunes, or perhaps the lack of them.

It’s all about politics
For close to two decades, the BMC has been run by the Shiv Sena-Bhartiya Janata Party combine. However, with the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party Combine winning the State Elections in 2004, power over the city has been split. This is because the MMRDA – the other organization responsible for almost all conceivable infrastructure projects – is run by the Congress with the Chief Minister being the MMRDA Chairman.

With opposing parties running Mumbai's largest and most important organizations, there have always been spats, face-offs and blame games between both organizations, and hence political parties, for all the ills plaguing this city. Crater filled roads ? Blame the MMRDA for digging up all the roads for the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). Choked up drains ? Blame the BMC for not clearing the pipes before the monsoons. And so on and so forth the blame games between both organisations have continued for some time.

With the Shiv Sena-BJP in disarray for a variety of reasons, the Congress-NCP combine is sensing a real chance to take over the BMC, and pretty much getting a full house for all city-related matters for the next two years (before state elections in 2008). There is also talk that both parties – the Congress and the NCP – could even contest elections on their own.

Staying ahead in the race
Ahead of the civic polls, both political combines are raising their decibel level to show how committed they remain to Mumbai. They would want us to forget their collective incompetence that bought the city to its knees during the 26/7 floods. Even though public memory is short-lived, the blame for 26/7 disaster will remain on Mumbaikars mind when they vote next year. Memories of a hapless Chief Minister, and a BMC Commissioner in denial, are hard to forget

Hence, both combines will try hard to make us forget those bad memories and instead focus on how these parties, through their organisations, remain, er, committed to the city. The Chief Minister, Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh, would want us to remember all the work the MMRDA has done, including the Mumbai Metro and the MUTP. Also throw in two Prime Minister visits in the last six months to that list and Central Government approval for funding the Brimstowad drainage project. Mr. Anil Deshmukh(NCP), Minster for Public Works, wants us to remember work underway for the Bandra Worli Sealink and his approval of the Peddar Road Flyover.

On its part, the BMC – and hence the SS-BJP combine – doesn't have any so many headline projects on its report card in terms of major achievements. No wonder then that recently the BMC cleared (not spent) city projects worth Rs463crores in October. This was an exponential jump over earlier months and is attributed to the fact that this kind of profligacy will not be possible once the Election Commission releases its Code of Conduct for the civic polls.

In the run-up to the polls, we can also expect newspapers to be full of both parties flaunting their achievements. On the sidelines, smaller parties like Raj Thackeray’s MNS and the Samajwadi Party will largely be restricted putting up posters of their leaders and holding rallies to flay incumbents and opposition alike over the usual issues of rising prices and depressing quality of life in the city.

What’s new
Are there any alternatives to the above political parties ? Interestingly enough, yes. Count among these, the entry of Lok Paritran in Mumbai. Lok Paritran has held initial meetings in Mumbai in the last couple of months and is finalising strategies ahead of the civic polls.

Then there is the independent Vote Mumbai campaign which is making a serious attempt at introducing an alternate urban governance system for Mumbai as a solution to its manifold ills. One suggested solution that could find takers is that of a Directly Elected Mayor, as against the current system of a Mayor who is largely ceremonial and who fills the newspapers for all the wrong reasons (for example, leading a rally to stop trains during a bandh).

Finally, citizens groups will be going into overdrive as civic polls near, to raise citizen awareness on candidates and key city issues. An interesting – and significant – effort is that of Citizens Roundtable (read more here) which will comprise two former Municipal Commissioners, urban experts and activists. AGNI, a leading Mumbai NGO and a member of this forum points to an interesting fact “in one third of the constituencies, the margin of victory in the last civic elections was as little as 1000 votes, sometimes only 25 to 40.”

Indeed, Mumbaikars would do well to listen to groups such as Citizens Roundtable before exercising their franchise on January 28th 2007.

*****

Technorati tags: India, Mumbai, BMC Elections 2007, MMRDA, MUTP, Bandra Worli Sea Link

A bright Sunday morning

2006-11-12T11:23:00.000+05:30

Two articles in the front pages of both the Times of India and the Hindustan Times make you think about the future of Mumbai. They also give you an insight into what the politicians and builders are thinking about Mumbai. Makes me wonder whether any other class of people matter for this city.

First up, the HT article (For today, this link should work, but for later go to the HT epaper site and search archives for 12th Nov), whose headlines go “8,000 sq ft flat in Worli? Skyz the limit”. Move over Bellissimo, look who just toppled you. That’s right. Skyz, a project by Oberoi Constructions, will have 65 floors, but only 44 apartments. Each will measure 8,000sqft, will be a duplex apartment spread across two floors.

"We wanted a swimming pool for each apartment but the civic body turned it down as there is a water shortage in the city", explained Oberoi.

Apartments will start 15 floors above the ground everyone gets a view of the sea. Of course the first question in your mind - how much ? Rs20cr per apartment. And like Bellissimo, you have to be invited to buy the apartment. And this time I hear they mean it, not like Bellissimo where your friendly neighborhood broker or home-financer could get you an invite). So I’d suggest you forget that drive down to the Glaxo compound in Worli (where the towers are being built), and don’t even think of asking anyone there to show you a sample flat.

My point is anyone paying Rs20cr for this flat, or for that matter any builder investing money in this project, obviously assumes that real-estate prices in Bombay, or at least those in and around Worli (which is said to soon become the new Cuffe Parade), will only keep going up. That’s a fair assumption to make ?

Next up is the Times of India, which in this article talks about the development plan (DP) for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). This is the single most crucial document for Mumbai. It will cover planning for everything from land to transport to communications, water supply, etc. Basically a blue-print for the future development of this city. A committee of 45 members will decide on this plan. So, you’d expect some urban development experts, urban planners, architects, professionals, etc. Sure there are. But only 4, as against no less than 30 politicians. I’m guessing the rest are bureaucrats.

Eminent architect and urban planner Charles Correa says he fears the entire process of drafting the regional plan may be abused. “It all depends on the relationship between these politicians and the planners on the panel,” he adds.

I remember asking Chandrashekhar Prabhu about whether he believed in the idea of a CEO for Mumbai, or at the bare minimum having one agency in charge (instead of the BMCs, MMRDAs, MSRDCs, etc, etc). His answer surprised me because he said he didn't give a damn who ran the city as long as they did a good job and had a professional, approach with the involvment of urban planning experts. No such luck this time. The DP is made for a 10-15 year period and this one will cover the period 2011-2021).

Yet again politicians get to decide the future of the city, which according to builders is set to be very, very rosy. I don’t know where’s the disconnect here with the present day. I mean each and every day that goes by, the words “planning” and “development” seem meaningless for this city that is just OD-ing on traffic jams, dug-up roads and crowded trains. Envy the politicians and builders – they seem to be one optimistic lot about the future of Mumbai. Pardon my skepticism then as I return to my Sunday morning coffee and reality checks.

The Carpetbaggers

2006-11-07T11:48:00.000+05:30

The write-up below appears in this week's Hafta. Expectations were running high from this housing policy, given the unabated rise in property prices, as well as infrastructure issues. However, the policy turned out to be toothless and a wash out.

******

Housing by carpet

The recent draft housing policy unveiled by Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh, has raised more questions than provide answers to long-standing housing problems in Mumbai. The policy, which has been seen as a damp squib, is still in the draft stage and will now go into discussion for about two months with various bodies before becoming law. We look at a few recommendations of the policy.

The recommendation that has raised the most questions pertains to land transactions now being charged on the basis of carpet area as against current industry practice of charging on the basis of built-up area. Carpet area, simply put, is the area where you can literally lay down a carpet that covers your entire flat. As against this, built-up area includes the walls and super built-up area adds lifts, staircases, entrance area, flower-beds, and anything from the builder’s creative mind that goes to increase the headline area he tells you while tempting you with that dream house. In effect, you land up paying for a whole lot of area that you do not use and probably do not own. This practice is called loading, and is typically measured by how much the built-up area exceeds the carpet area. While the accepted loading norm used to be about 25% (to cover the builder’s costs), it has steadily inched higher to 30-40%. For example, when you buy a flat with built-up are of 1,000sqft, the actual carpet area is typically about 650sqft.

The Government now wants to make it mandatory for buying/selling of land to be done on a carpet area basis. With this, the Government expects property prices to fall by 30-40%, simply because it assumes that with the rate remaining the same, a lower area (i.e. the carpet area) would mean a lower price. However, after talking to a few brokers – and going by the reaction of most builders – what the industry expects more likely to happen is that property rates would in fact increase so as to keep the value of the transaction intact. So much for reform.

To be fair, this proposal is being seen as a positive step, if only to increase transparency and keep a check on builders in an industry shrouded in under-handed dealings and black money. The move is also supported by home finance institutions, for example, HDFC’s Chairman Mr. Deepak Parekh has in the past called for builders to move towards carpet area based pricing of houses.

The draft housing policy also includes a recommendation for builders of large projects to reserve a portion in these projects for smaller flats (400-500sqft). With this measure, the Government expects to provide affordable housing for low and middle income groups. In return for these lower-area flats, the Government will provide higher floor-space-index (FSI) to the builder. However, the policy has neither specified how much extra FSI would be provided nor how the Government would monitor implementation of this measure. Implementation would remain critical considering that builders have in the past misused similar provisions by merging low/middle income apartments group to create larger ones and then selling them off to higher-income groups .

The draft policy also recommends an FSI increase from 0.5 to 1 in the extended suburbs of Mira-Bhayendar, Vasai-Virar, Thane, Navi Mumbai, etc. Interestingly enough, some time back the World Bank had met the CM and expressed interest in providing assistance of US$5billion (over 10 years) for development of Mumbai’s neighboring areas.

Another key recommendation, which could become controversial in the future, is the move to invite competitive bidding for slum redevelopment projects. If implemented, this could mean a change in Government thinking away from the existing rule of obtaining consent from 70% of slumdwellers in an area. Hafta readers would also recall our interview with housing activist, Mr. Chandrashekhar Prabhu, who had this to say about slum rehab schemes:

“The schemes are not catering to the poor and are always meant to make money for the builder. The committee which formulated the current rehab scheme had no slumdwellers, but only builders. Now, would someone making such a scheme make it in a way to benefit someone who the same builder is going throw out? It was never meant to be a slum dwellers scheme. The Govt also appointed a committee under Mr. S. S. Tinaikar, former BMC Commissioner. He made a 700-page report whose summary says that this slum rehab scheme is of the builder, by the builder, for the builder; it should hence be stopped forthwith and an alternative scheme should be worked out with the contribution of all stake-holders.” [Link]

The policy has also failed to lay down a definitive timeline for repealing the Urban Land Ceiling Act (ULCA). As discussed in an earlier Hafta piece, the repeal is a key reform process from the perspective of infrastructure funding for Mumbai under the Jawaharlal Nehra National Urban Renewal Mission. While the repeal of the Act found no mention in the policy, the Chief Minister has indicated that the matter would be taken up in the winter session of the legislature (due to begin in Nagpur on Dec 4th). Mr. Deshmukh also stated that the Government has acquired 400 hectares in Mumbai under this act in the last two years and expects release of this land to bring down property prices by 30-40%.

At a time when the Government should have taken a bold and reform-oriented stance it has paid lip service and failed to tackle the issue of sky-rocketing property prices in Mumbai. Yet again, the quest for a reasonably priced house in this city of dreams remains just that – a quest for many. No wonder then, that the term “affordable housing” in this city sounds more like an oxymoron.

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Technorati tags: India, Mumbai, urban development, politics, housing, Brimstowad, JNNURM

Taking sides

2006-11-02T19:31:00.000+05:30

Shivam Vij is a blogger, and a journalist, whose work I've come to admire. And that's not just because he writes well. I admire the way he chases facts and researches his stories.

A few days back he reported on the atrocities against Dalits in Kherlanji. A place I'd never even heard of. He also posted some gruesome photos of the victims.

There are times when I need to be shocked and horrified at the crimes that happen in the same India I'm told is shining. This was one of them and Shivam, in my opinion - and as I've commented on his blog - did a great job in reporting on this dastardly act. That's really all that matters to me.

However, other bloggers questioned and protested against him putting up those gory photos of the victims. And in response to this, er, outrage Shivam has posted his defense here. Do read.

For the record, and to repeat myself, I'm with him on this. And I also share Dilip's dismay. Some things just have to be said. These bloggers (Shivam and Dilip) did a great job of saying them.

Update - Also read Gawker's take - I agree with him.

History lesson again

2006-10-31T15:13:00.001+05:30

A few days back, I had posted on the timeline of the riots which preceded the March 1993 Bombay Bomb Blasts.

Today, in a sombre post, Sonia Faleiro recalls that history while talking about the recent July-06 blasts.

In the aftermath of the bomb blasts, Mumbai’s Muslims feared a violent reprisal from the majority community, mirroring the riots of December 1992-January 1993. The riots followed the destruction of the Babri mosque in the city of Ayodhya by a mob led by Hindu fundamentalist leaders perpetrating the belief that the mosque was built on the birthplace of Lord Ram. The riots killed over 1,000 people, demarcating forever Mumbai’s people and places. Shortly after, on March 12, 1993, fifteen serial explosions, masterminded by members of the underworld and Islamic terror groups, struck Mumbai’s most famous landmarks including the Bombay Stock Exchange, killing 257 people. The blasts were believed to be payback for the riots.

It is not surprising then, that after the attacks this July, Mumbai’s Muslim community was immediately on its guard.

Read her full post here.

Mumbai Metro Rail - potential hiccup

2006-10-30T13:50:00.000+05:30

Just when you thought that with the Prime Minister himself flagging off the Mumbai Metro Rail Project, it would finally take off. Not quite.

After first haggling over the amount of viability gap funding (VGF) with the contractors, Reliance Energy, the State Government is facing what could be another hurdle. Newspaper reports suggest that the Government could reject the Rs650cr VGF because – get this – bidding for the Mumbai Metro happened before the Govt made its Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC).

As per this DNA article

A senior Union government official said central assistance is reserved for future projects. "The government’s schemes are implemented only with prospective effect" he said. In the circumstances, funding cannot be made available for Mumbai’s metro project because its bidding process preceded the finalisation of the VGF guidelines. [Link]

As per this FE article

"....North Block now feels that the project cannot be considered under the PPP-AC, as the bidding was finalised before the committee was set up. So it does not fulfill the technical parameters. Now the finance ministry is of the opinion that the project should seek sanction from the ministry of urban development under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNUURM). For this, it has also written a letter to JNUURM. Sources said the finance ministry was not very happy with the project cost and the terms of the concession agreement, and if it agreed to consider it under the PPP-AC, it might ask for a revision of both." [link]

After getting, Brimstowad approved for full centre funding, the Maharashtra State Government has already lined up many other projects under JNNURM. Considering the strict riders that come with the JNNURM, I doubt the State Govt. would want to club the Metro under the JNNURM as well. More so, given that the Metro has already been flagged off, versus all the other projects (even the Brimstowad) which are only in the report and approval stage.

Worst case scenario ? MMRDA - i.e. the Maharashtra State Government - foots the Rs650cr bill, which is not particularly good for the already tottering state finances.

However, there seems to be hope. Or at least, so the MMRDA would want us to believe.

As per this follow-up DNA article

"[MMRDA] Officials told DNA that since Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself had inaugurated the project, there was no room for the Centre to back out. "The secretary-level clearance has already come through, and on November 1 there is a meeting with Finance Minister P Chidambaram," said T Chandrashekhar, MMRDA metropolitan commissioner." [Link]

Final decision due in a couple of days, Nov 1. Given that the Congress is playing the development card ahead of the BMC elections, I'd think that this issue will be quickly - and favorably - resolved.

Earlier posts on Mumbai Metro Rail :
Sept-06: Route changed
June-06: Flag-off
May-06: Contract awarded
May-06: Viability gap issue resolved
May-06: Issues over viability gap
Apr-06: Project details

Technorati tags: India, Maharashtra, Mumbai, MMRDA, Mumbai Metro Rail

Who's afraid of JNNURM?

2006-10-28T16:29:00.000+05:30

Back at the Hafta after ages.

Couple of things here. This portal of the Jawarharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) came as a big surprise to me. The emphasis on urban reforms is really something. Besides the mandatory requirement for repealing acts like the ULCA, I was impressed by the emphasis given to citizen participation. Or should I really be surprised ? After all Ramesh Ramanathan of Janaagraha was the National Technical Advisor to the JNNURM.

This piece appeared in the Hafta dated 23rd Oct 2006. Read the full article below. Comments welcome.

*****

Conditional Change
After laying the foundation stone for the Mumbai Metro in July, Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, returned to visit Mumbai last month to approve full Centre funding for the much-needed Brihanmumbai Storm Water Drainage (Brimstowad) project. Two large projects flagged off in three months, surely seems like a lot for a city that has waited decades for any infrastructure overhaul.

While the Brimstowad report has been gathering dust since 1993, it came in the spotlight only after the 26th July 2005 deluge which exposed the weaknesses of the city’s ages-old drainage system. With the PM clearing the funding, work will finally kick-off on this ambitious Rs1,800cr project which will involve widening and deepening of four major underground drains in the island city and seven in western suburbs and eight in the eastern suburbs.

But the work will also involve relief and rehabilitation (R&R) of 20,000 families, which itself will cost Rs600crores. This will be the State Government’s biggest challenge since it dare not repeat the debacle of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) R&R which resulted in the World Bank temporarily suspending funding for the MUTP project.

All the kings’ horses and men
While the State Government is basking in the glory of getting funding for the Brimstowad, their biggest challenge only lies ahead. They have yet to make any headway in procuring Centre approval for other vital projects for the city.

At last count, other than Brimstowad, there were 10 other projects that came for review between the Centre and the Maharashtra State Government at the time of the PM’s visit. Post review – and to quote from the press release – “The Prime Minister directed that Mumbai's development needs should receive a very high priority, and its problems redressed without any delay. He directed that expeditious approval be given to the Middle Vaitarna Water Supply Project for Mumbai IV, and Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Projects under JNNURM by October/November 2006.”

However, and as things go for this city, a month down the line, nothing has moved forward. What’s worse is that the State Government and all its bureaucrats can’t even do a good job of submitting the required information to the Centre for getting critical funding for these projects under the Centre’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Mission (JNNURM).

It is indeed ironical that almost all the projects mentioned by the Prime Minister are ages old. They’ve been studied by various bodies like the BMC, MMRDA, etc as well as consultants over the years and yet, even today, the combined lot of the politicians and bureaucrats – also in charge of India’s financial capital – cannot prepare reports on these projects with the required details.

Time for change
So, why is the Government dragging its feet over much required infrastructure funding for Mumbai? One answer could be reluctance on the part of the Government to comply with the changes that the JNNURM requires State Governments to make for getting urban infrastructure funding. What are these ? Take a look below (extract from Government’s Toolkit on the JNNURM)

(a) “Implementation of decentralisation measures as envisaged in 74th Constitutional Amendment Act. The State should ensure meaningful association and engagement of ULBs (urban local bodies) in planning the function of parastatal agencies as well as the delivery of services to the citizens.
(b) *Repeal of Urban Land Ceiling Regulation Act (ULCRA).
(c) *Reform of Rent Control Laws balancing the interests of landlords and tenants.
(d) Rationalisation of Stamp Duty to bring it down to no more than 5 per cent within next seven years.
(e) Enactment of the Public Disclosure Law to ensure preparation of medium-term fiscal plan of ULBs and parastatal agencies and release of quarterly performance information to all stakeholders.
(f) Enactment of the Community Participation Law to institutionalise citizen’s participation and introduce the concept of the Area Sabha in urban areas.
(g) Assigning or associating elected ULBs with “city planning function”. Over a period of seven years, transferring all special agencies that deliver civic services in urban areas to ULBs and creating accountability platforms for all urban civic service providers in transition.

* Footnote: In respect of people oriented schemes relating to water supply and sanitation, the under-mentioned State level mandatory reforms may be taken as optional reforms: b) Repeal of Urban Land Ceiling and Regulation Act c) Reform of Rent Control Act.”

Phew. Surely, that’s a lot of change to digest for the ruling politicians. But like it or not, those changes are for real. Those changes will have to be made if the city has to be overhauled – and was there any doubt on that? Those changes will also involve managing the different people (vested interests?) affected by these large infrastructure projects in Mumbai. And therein lies the true test for the politicians.

Well begun is..
Meanwhile, its festive season and time for all the politicos to blow up their mugs and minimise God on party posters to wish all of us a Happy Diwali, Id or whatever. And yes, the BMC elections are also due soon. So, while the Congress is flaunting its achievements on its party posters across the city, it would do well to keep in mind that getting projects approved and funded is only a step, a step due for decades, in the right direction. Execution, however, will be another – and longer – story altogether.

Technorati tags: India, Mumbai, Brimstowad, JNNURM, urban development, politics, Janaagraha.

Lest we forget the history

2006-10-19T15:17:00.000+05:30

For those refered to in here, these are a few events that took place before 12th March 1993.

July-92 to Dec-92 – Rallies, processions, etc held by the Sena, BJP, etc. across Bombay on the Ayodhya issue, mostly in communally sensitive areas.

6th December 1992 – The Babri Masjid is demolished.

26th December 1992 – Maha-aartis launched and continue till Feb-1993.

3rd January 1993 – Alleged MHADA officials survey Pratiksha Nagar, Antop Hill for Muslim residences.

5th January 1993 – Four Mathadi workers stabbed to death.

8th January 1993 – "During the wee hours of 8th January 1993, at about 0030 hours, some of the Hindu residences in a chawl popularly known as Radhabai Chawl in Jogeshwari jurisdiction were locked from outside and set on fire by miscreants. One male and five female members of a Hindu family (Bane) and their neighbours were charred to death and three other Hindus sustained serious burn injuries. One of the victims was a handicapped girl. This incident was sensationalized by the media by giving exaggerated and provoking reports." [Chapter II Para 1.11 (i)]

Final tally of deaths during riots between Dec-92 and Jan-93 - 900. [Chapter II Para 1.24]

12th March 1993 - 10 bomb blasts across Bombay. 257 killed or missing and 713 injured.

(Source: Chapter II of the Srikrishna Commission Report. Link here)

"Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it" - George Santayana.

Technorati tags: India, bombay bomb blasts

Mumbai Metro: Charkop route changed

2006-09-29T13:32:00.000+05:30

Tough luck Colaba. The Colaba-Charkop metro rail leg has been changed to a Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd route.

Here's what's changed

Route
Earlier: Colaba-Charkop
Now: Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd

Length
Earlier: 36km
Now: 32km

Cost
Earlier: Rs7,423cr
Now: Rs6,192cr

Number of stations
Earlier: 36
Now: 27

Elevation
Earlier: Of the 36 station, 25 would be overhead and balance underground
Now: All 27 stations will be elevated (per Indian Express article here)

Completion date..oops, no change here.
Earlier: 2011
Now: 2011

This is what the proposed route and it's stations will look like (picture courtesy: Mumbai Mirror.)

As to why this change has happened

Hindustan Times says (e-paper link here):

Plan to build the Colaba-Charkop line was shelved after it was found that the part-underground, part-elevated line would be financially unviable. The Rs 9,000 crore-line would cost an additional Rs 2,000 crore if it were made underground till Mahim (earlier, it was till Mahalaxmi). The new corridor, which will be entirely elevated, will be cheaper and can also be built faster.

However, the Indian Express has a different take (link here):

Originally, the Bandra to Charkop arm had been part of the north-south Colaba-Bandra-Charkop route, which is now being tweaked—more portions will be underground—following objections from the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee.

Note that this is just a change in the route and does not mean anything in terms of progress on execution of the project. So the only thing that's happened is that the MMRDA has changed the route and the Chief Minister (also the Chairman of the MMRDA) has approved the change.

The project will now go the State Cabiner for approval. Given the size and the cost of the project, it will most likely run into some kind of hurdles such as sharing of the costs, etc, etc.

MMRDA has also estimated viability gap funding at Rs1,658crores. While current news articles suggest that this amount will be borne by the State Government, do remember that work on the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar leg had been stalled over this issue.

Given that the BMC elections are due soon, one can expect headlines to keep coming steadily on the approvals received and projects flagged off by our politicians on infrastructure projects for this city. Back-patting stuff that their hoardings are made of. And what of real work done and benefits achieved ? Wait till 2011 for that.

News articles referenced (all dated today 29th Sept 06):
Mumbai Mirror: Rs6,192cr Charkop Metro Project gets go-ahead from state (link here)
Indian Express: By 2011, Charkop to Mankhurd in 45mins (link here)
Business Standard: Board nod for 2nd Mumbai Metro Line (link here)
Hindustan Times: Metro re-routed: Colaba must wait (e-paper link here)

Technorati tags: India, Mumbai, Metro Rail, MMRDA.

In print and all that

2006-09-21T10:32:00.000+05:30

India Today carried an article on Bombay bloggers, featuring Govindraj Ethiraj, Arzan Sam Wadia, Amit Varma, Peter Griffin and..er..self. Arzan has a post on it (link here, thanks Arzan) with a scan of the article done by his sister Mehernaaz (thank you).

For reasons best know to them, India Today got my URL wrong - it is not http://mumbaimatters.blogspot.com. In fact I had tried for that URL when I first started out this blog, but at that point it was taken. Despite that, even now, as it was then, if you click on that link, you are greeted with "Not Found".

At the photo shoot, I was hoping to meet up with Govind - a blogger that I, along with many others, have a lot of respect for - but unfortunately he couldn't make it.

And talking of respect for bloggers, I'm wondering why an article on Blogging in Mumbai didn't even have a mention of Dilip D'Souza and Sonia Faleiro.

Blame the consultants

2006-09-05T18:59:00.000+05:30

The piece below appears in this week's Hafta.

*******

If it was a company, you could blame it on the consultants. Considering that Mumbai contributes close to US$9bn (Rs40,000 crores) annually in tax receipts to the Central and State Governments, it would make for one hell of a large company. In case you’re wondering where that number above came from, it was provided by M/s McKinsey & Company, in a joint report done by that leading consultant firm and Bombay First a corporate backed lobby group.

The report (available here), titled “Vision Mumbai: Transforming Mumbai into a world-class city”, was published in Sept-2003 and could, in all probability, have been the origin of the odious Mumbai-Shanghai comparison. In true consultant style, the report had a vision statement which read as follows

"Mumbai ’s aspiration is to become a world-class city in the next 10-15 years. In order to achieve this, it needs to be distinctive on the dimension of economic growth and above average on quality of life.

It will, therefore, need to step up economic growth to 8-10 per cent by becoming one of Asia’s leading service hubs, with a fast-growing manufacturing base in the hinterland.

On the quality of life dimension, comparing it to the benchmark cities revealed that it needed to move from average to above average on mass transport, from poor to above average on private transport, housing, safety/environment, financing and governance.

It will also need to make improvements in the remaining areas, i.e., go from being average to above average in water/sanitation and education and from above average to world-class in healthcare."

On receipt of this path-breaking and seminal blah-fest, the Chief Minister promptly constituted a task force to study it and make another report. In less than six month’s time, the Chief Minister’s Task Force came out with its own report (available here) with the same title but its very own “Vision 2013”. Devoid of the professional eloquence that a consultant gets to the table, the best that the CM’s men could come up with, for a vision statement, was this – “Transforming Mumbai to a world-class city with a vibrant economy and globally comparable quality of life for its citizens”.

Somewhere after that, 26/7 happened and flash forward to present day, the Mumbaikar remains as harried and hapless as he was before these reports were made. The ironical part is that given the number of consultants appointed by the Government over the years, you’d think that some action would be taken on the recommendations made by these experts. No such luck. The present state of Mumbai’s infrastructure bears testimony to the fact that various state Governments over the years have hired these consultants for Mumbai only to pay lip service. Execution was, and remains, a different story altogether.

A history of consulting
As pointed out in an earlier Hafta article, the first consultant the city got was M/s Wilbur Smith in 1962. Forty four years later, one recommendation of this committee, viz. the Bandra Worli Sealink freeway project, is finally being implemented. However, the logic for this ambitious freeway in the present day has been questioned by architects and urban activists like Chandrashekhar Prabhu (read our interview with him here). In fact, even the MMRDA has stated that the consultant’s proposals “did not take into account the importance of public transport and did not examine the possibilities of changing the land use pattern to manage the travel demand”. (page 267 of the MMRDA Regional Plan).

Next up, we had M/s W. S. Atkins in 1994 who were commissioned by the World Bank, along with ORG and Kirloskar Consultants in 1994 to prepare a Comprehensive Transport Plan for Mumbai. To be fair, this was one of the most comprehensive studies down on transportation in Mumbai, and perhaps even the launching pad of the MUTP.

Analyzing data from 1971 to 1991, this report gave us those key statistics exhorted by those in favour of public transport – i.e. 88% of all transport in Mumbai is through public transport, 7% by private vehicles and 5% by taxis. Most importantly, this report had forecast that by 2011 the total number of vehicles registered in Mumbai would double over 1991 levels – or from 0.8m to 1.36m. In all likelihood, M/s Atkins were too conservative because by 2001 itself, registered vehicles in Mumbai stood at 1.29m (per MMRDA).

Transforming Mumbai..or something like that
With the Atkins study outdated, the MMRDA commissioned yet another consultant – this time Lea International– to undertake what seems to be the most ambitious transport study done so far. It even has its own name (TRANSFORM) and website. Using responses from thousands of commuters across rail, bus and roads, the 18-month study, costing Rs7crore, will “aim to formulate long term transport strategy for Mumbai Metropolitan Region by identifying requirements of travel till the year 2031.” Surveys for the study have already been completed and a draft investment plan is expected to be put forth for public consultations. Watch this space.

Meanwhile, the Central Government (Urban Development Ministry) is also gearing up to decongest cities. Towards the noble task of alleviating commuting woes, the Government has appointed – hold your breath now – M/s Wilbur Smith to conduct sample surveys across 30 cities (Mumbai included), which would be used for a study called Traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning. Code-name TREAT you say ?.

What goes around, comes around
And so 44 years after its first study of Mumbai, M/s Wilbur Smith is all set to prepare yet another one on the city. The average Mumbaikar, consigned to crowded trains and traffic jams, can’t be blamed for looking askance at M/s Smith or at the babus and the sarkars who have appointed these international consultants. Between themselves no one has been able to come up with a solution for the city’s transportation problems. So, do forgive our scepticism at vision statements and dreams for world class cities. These grand designs might soothe consultants and politicians, but for Mumbaikars today they are remain bad clichés that have run their course.

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Technorati tags:
India
Mumbai
Urban Development
Consultants
MMRDA
MUTP
Bandra Worli Sea Link
World Bank

Doubts raised on Mumbai Transharbour link

2006-08-31T17:38:00.000+05:30

The bid document with the final plan for the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) has been released today and there are already issues in this US$1 billion project. (My first post on this freeway is here, with another follow-up here)

Today's HT carries this article citing various traffic experts who've pointed out flaws.

“The bridge isn’t wide enough to cope with the traffic needs,” said IIT professor S.L. Dhingra, who has been associated with several infrastructure projects in Mumbai.

Note that the earlier plan for the MTHL also had a rail component. In fact, the MSRDC's webpage on the project also states that the rail component will be added in Phase 2 of the project in 2015. However, the HT article states that this could be pushed away further.

“The project will be incomplete without rail connectivity,” said independent traffic specialist Arun Mokashe who’s worked on several infrastructure projects. “To provide better connectivity to Greater Mumbai, the railway component is a must.” Another senior traffic consultant and former top MSRDC official said the plan “totally lacked foresight”.
“In 1983, no one knew that a Special Economic Zone and an airport would come up in Panvel. So there is a serious need to rework the original blueprint,” he said.

It does appear that the Government, in a hurry to make a big bang announcement on yet another large project, has completely missed out on the larger picture. As the experts in the article above have pointed out, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai will be completely different cities when the MTHL finally gets constructed, thanks to the proposed SEZ and new international airport. Both projects can only raise the traffic numbers for the MTHL. Hence, any blueprint has to keep this in mind rather than base work on 30 or 40 year old transport studies.

If these issues (i.e. more lanes, an organised dispersal and the rail component) are not integrated within the project at the start, it could well be another case of short-sighted planning that leads to problems in the longer term. Case in point - the Bandra Worli Sealink, which will be completed before the Worli-Nariman Point link is built, and could hence result in traffic building up on Haji Ali (for more on this also read our interview with architect, Chandrashekhar Prabhu).

Technorati tags: India, Mumbai, Bandra Worli Sea Link, MTHL

Burning bridges

2006-08-30T14:13:00.000+05:30

Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge was blown up last night by Washington city officials to make way for a new version. What's interesting was that the button was pressed - or rather, the plunger was pushed - not by a politician or civil servant or a leader, but by 53-year old Dan Ruefly, a veteran user of the bridge.

"What an honor," said Mr. Ruefly, 53, who won a contest sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project to find the motorist with the worst bridge-related commuting story. As the winner, he got to trigger last night's detonation of 2,600 tons of steel. "It was great to be able to do this for all of those commuters who have sat on that bridge. It was worth the wait."

Wonder which road Mumbaikars would be glad to get rid of - L. J. Road Mahim junction ranks up there, as does the Peddar Road stretch. Then there's the narrow Andheri Station junction, Dadar T. T, Sion circle, etc, etc...

I'm sure we won't run out of any such road stretches that are the "banes of many commuters" but I'm also sure it will take many more dislocated backs and shattered hip bones to get rid of them. Till then, laage raho BMC.