Gridlock

There are things that Pranab Dutta likes and dislikes about Mumbai. "No other place in India has a better work culture than Mumbai. It's still among the safer cities for women to work in," says the 60-year-old Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Knight Frank India, a property consultancy.

Having lived in Mumbai for 40 years, Dutta has seen the city change a lot; yet some things remain the same. "People continue to hang out of local trains. The water shortage scenario hasn't changed much, too," he says, adding that even in terms of infrastructure creation, Mumbai has been rather reactive.

Even reactive might be an understatement. Take the case of the infamous floods of July 2006. Soon after, the government promised to repair the city's drainage system on a "war footing." Five years later, the project is yet to gather steam. (see Five Vital Infrastructure Projects for Mumbai's Growth). To be fair, this is not an easy task. After all, Mumbai's existing water drainage system is over a century old with 2,000 km

of open drains and 440 km of closed drains. Together, that's the length that the Ganges runs across India. Delays and cost increases plague virtually every infrastructure project that's under way. Perhaps the problem in implementing such projects is their scale — but then Mumbai can't do with anything less. Mumbai's population of 13 million people is greater than those of the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Oman put together.

And all these people are crammed on a strip of islets strung together by bridges and reclaimed land to create the world's most populous city with 29,650 people living per sq. km, according to the United Nations' State of World Population 2007 report. With that kind of density, large infrastructure projects, which involve relocation of people, take time to happen. One reason for the slow progress of the Santa Cruz-Chembur Link Road, which will connect the western and eastern suburbs of the city, has been that over two dozen residential buildings came in the way of the proposed flyover.

This growing density of population is putting pressure on the city's infrastructure on two main fronts — urban transportation and housing. Celebrated architect Charles Correa believes that the city is shooting itself in the foot by not focusing on urban transportation. "More than anything else, we need public transport. This is what Bombay has always had — and everybody enjoyed a great deal of mobility," says Correa. "Sadly, for the last several decades, the city has not grown around public transport arteries — but in haphazard directions, usually determined by the kick-back available," he adds.

The state of Mumbai's suburban trains is adding to the city's transportation woes. Every day, close to 6.5 million passengers — roughly equivalent to Ireland's population — use Mumbai's suburban railway network. About 4,500 passengers cram into a nine-car train meant for 1,700 people, making it a truly cattle-class experience. That works out to about 16 people per square metre of the train.

As any major track expansion on the ground is virtually impossible, the government is getting an elevated Metro Railway network and a monorail network going on a priority basis. The first phase of the Metro is likely to be operational by the year end. Slums are the other big problem. Today, more than half the city resides in slums; in 1970 one in six Mumbai residents lived in slums. "Problems like housing and congestion are worsened by an over-concentration of jobs in the core of the city.

Home to roughly one in three Mumbai residents, it still accounts for 72 per cent of the jobs. This makes road congestion almost unbearable for much of the day," reads a recent report by Legatum International, a London-based think tank. The report adds that two-thirds of the city's population lives on just five per cent of the city's land. So what's ailing Mumbai? It's a song that's been sung many times. "There's a lack of accountability," explains Narinder Nayar, Chairman, Bombay First, a citizen's forum, which has prominent businessmen like Noel Tata and Nasser Munjee on its governing board. "The city's infrastructure is run by 17 agencies. We have an orchestra but no conductor," adds Nayar.

The lack of a central planning agency for the city's growth is also causing problems. "High rises are coming up all over the city. But there's little thought about how traffic management, waste management and infrastructure for these buildings will be managed," says Nayar. But not all hope is lost. The state government has set up a "war room" which reviews infrastructure projects for the city on a regular basis.

Moreover, the city has appointed a Singapore-based firm, Surbana Consultants, which will come up with a 40-year concept plan. "The report will be the first step towards the planned development of the Mumbai Metropolitan region," says Nayar. Or is it just another case of high hopes?

Five Vital Infrastructure Projects for Mumbai's Growth

Now, if only somebody could jumpstart them

BRIMSTOWAD (Brihan Mumbai Storm Water Drain)

• GENESIS: In 1993, a proposal to build a gigantic storm water drainage system cutting across the city was mooted. The three-phased project was estimated to cost Rs 600 crore back then.
• STATUS: As of March 31, 2010, of the 20 odd works in Phase I, only 11 have been completed. Unofficial estimates peg the project cost at well over Rs 3,000 crore by now.

Navi Mumbai Airport

• GENESIS: First feasibility study done in 1990
• STATUS:Despite 70 per cent of the land acquisition having been completed, construction of any sort has not begun. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has raised some 'serious environmental concerns' about the project.

Mumbai Trans Harbour Link

• GENESIS: On paper for nearly two decades, the proposed bridge of 22 km will have six lanes (four roads, two metros) connecting Navi Mumbai on the outskirts to Sewri in central Mumbai.
• STATUS:Originally, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) was supposed to execute the project. Now, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has taken over the project, although there's little clarity on when work will start. The project cost has doubled in the last three years to over Rs 8,000 crore.

Metro

• GENESIS: Two lines expected to carry over 18 lakh people were proposed in 2003 and are expected to be ready by 2014.
• STATUS: By the end of the year, phase I of Mumbai's Metro project (connecting Versova and Ghatkopar) is likely to be operational. And construction on a second line (connecting Charkop and Mankhurd), which was held up due to pending environmental clearance, is likely to start soon.

Santacruz-Chembur Link Road

• GENESIS: This 6.5 km, six-lane elevated road, to connect the eastern and western suburbs of Mumbai, has been in the works for nearly a decade. Construction started in 2003, and was expected to be completed by 2006. When it is completed, a drive that takes well over an hour-and-a-half will be reduced to 20 minutes.
• STATUS: After inordinate delays and a strongly worded rebuke from the World Bank, the project seems to be on track and the MMRDA, which is overseeing the project, expects to complete it by December 2011.