City: Mumbai

Mumbai schools to reopen from December 1st The State government announced on November 25th that physical classes will resume for students from class 1 to 12, effective from December 1st. “After discussing with the CM, cabinet and paediatric task force, the state cabinet has decided to reopen schools from classes 1-4 in rural areas and classes 1-7 in urban areas from December 1. We are committed to the safe resumption of schools,” Maharashtra education minister Varsha Gaikwad told ANI. Reactions from parents ranged from relief to hesitancy. “We also need to mentally prepare younger children to go to school and…

Swara Madav, a Lower Parel resident, lives with Spina Bifida, a birth defect in which the spine and spinal cord don’t develop properly. The condition affects the ability to walk. “Barely any places in Mumbai have proper slopes and railings in place for us, not even places that are deemed essential, like grocery shops, banks or clinics.” Swara says. Construction work adds to the obstacles in her daily commute around town. A survey in 2017 found that Mumbai lacks in infrastructure for those with any form of disability and the situation doesn’t seem to have changed much since. “Even if…

The general rule for contesting in a local civic body election is that the person should be more than 21 years of age and should be a resident of Mumbai. Section 14 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888 stipulates that the contesting candidate in the BMC elections must be enrolled as a voter in the jurisdiction of Mumbai. Since 1995, when the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships (Second Amendment) Act, 1995 came into force, a corporator cannot have more than two children. Gulshan Chouhan, a corporator from South Mumbai, was disqualified in 2011…

55% of Mumbai’s population lives in slums, and is routinely excluded from urban planning. Dr Lalitha Kamath, an urban planning expert, has found that it is precisely by design that this structure is created and maintained. The State does not treat all residents of the city equally, and this is just another form of violence. Its instruments are the seemingly technical project and development plans. Lalitha is an associate professor at the Centre for Urban Policy and Governance, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. Her work includes Participolis: Consent and Contention in Neoliberal Urban Governance (2013) and the forthcoming…

Located south of Mumbai is Panje, one of four neighbouring villages, Panje, Funde, Dongri and Bokadvira spanning 289 hectares of wetland. Every winter, 1,50,000 migratory birds of over 50 species return to roost here. Of them, the Indian skimmer was recently upgraded from vulnerable to endangered. To some, however, this land is prime location to acquire for constructions, due to its close proximity to all forms of transport, including the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport. In 2019, Reliance Industries (RIL) sub-leased 4000 acres, including Panje, from the Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone (NMSEZ) to develop the area into a "Global Economic…

The redevelopment of historic neighbourhoods, more often than not, are perceived as a threat to culture. This notion is not unfounded, as conservation is a complicated process involving lived experiences and infrastructure that, to many, is home; built through decades of a community’s history and its people. Is it, then, possible to evolve a community through development while preserving its culture entirely? Mumbai's Bhendi Bazaar is an interesting case to study in this regard. Old Bhendi Bazaar. Photo: SBUT Present day Bhendi Bazaar. Photo: SBUT Efforts to rehabilitate South Mumbai’s 150-year-old Bhendi Bazaar is home to more than 20,000 people and 3200…

First ‘pod’ hotel at Mumbai Central railway station Indian railways’ first pod hotel was inaugurated at Mumbai Central station on Wednesday, November 17th, by Raosaheb Danve, minister of state of railways. The hotel is spread over 3000 square feet and is located on the first floor of the station building, with facilities such as 48 capsule-like rooms and separate pods for women and differently-abled persons. Affordable overnight accommodation is also available. For 12 hours, passengers will have to pay Rs 999, and Rs 1,999 for 24 hours.  Source: Hindustan Times Private hospital in Mumbai becomes first provide free COVID-19 vaccination …

At Citizen Matters, we review the promises made in the respective electoral manifestos by all four leading electoral parties, namely, the Shiv Sena (SS), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ahead of the BMC elections in February 2022.  We review whether these promises made by them have been delivered, and where Mumbai currently stands on these issues. To kick start the series, we look at the promises made on the issue of providing clean and safe water supply.   Water requirement in Mumbai  Mumbai currently provides 188 litres per capita per…

Officials claim that they’re constructing public toilets in the city and allocating funds, but previously built toilets in Mumbai are inaccessible and pose risks to diseases.  In October, Jagdeep Desai, wrote on twitter, about a public toilet constructed in Talvali Gaon, Navi Mumbai by the NMMC, claiming it has low ceilings, narrow doors and entrances, and no water. “The lack of consideration in making these roadside restrooms is apparent. Some are made only so they (the authorities) can audit the budgets assigned to them.” Jagdeep said. Short and narrow public toilet in Talvali gaon. Photo: Jagdeep Desai The cost of…

Mumbai is reported to have only 1.24 sqm open space per person. This includes gymkhanas, cemeteries, storm water drains, sewage treatment plans, etc, so even that paltry number is exaggerated. The areas coloured green in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s Development Plan 2034 to signify ‘open spaces’ are misleading, since many have buildings and slums in their place. According to a study done as part of the ‘Harita: The Green Footprint’ fellowship, the real figure is only around 1 sqm per person. The fellowship mapped and graded 500 parks in the city. The report concluded that only 18% of the…