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Something to think about - July 2005 Mumbai 2020 A different perspective - By Gaurang Damani
We all love Mumbai! We at some point of time have felt the pain when we see the deteriorated condition of Mumbai. While this document will not solve all our problems, these suggestions were submitted to Shri Sanjay Ubale (head of Mumbai Task Force) in 2004:
Mumbai Task Force might have limited control over infrastructure improvement for India in general and Maharashtra in particular. Improving infrastructure only in Mumbai, will only increase migrations to the city. Main reason for existence of slums in Mumbai is employment (financial). So, we might need to focus on a newer twin city - Navi Mumbai. Target Mumbai to be solely a Finance Hub or Finance center. All finance related activities to be based and promoted in Mumbai. All other activities like government offices (Mantralaya, RBI, Customs, Excise, Sales tax, Income Tax etc.); markets like chemicals, textiles, small-scale industries etc. to be relocated to Navi Mumbai.Infrastructure improvement suggestions Over 88% of Mumbai commuters use public transport (source - MMRDA). About 15% of commuters use 85% of road space (source - Bombay First magazine). Each new car requires 30 times as much road space as the mass transit it replaces (source - Eight myths of traffic planning, Roger Baker) Undertake a study to evaluate the feasibility of a train link from Borivali to Navi Mumbai via Thane or Mulund. Prioritize work on providing easy access for Western suburbs residents to Navi Mumbai through Jogeshwari-Vikhroli link road. Set up a world-class international airport in Navi Mumbai and hand over current international terminal to domestic carriers. Like New York City, Mumbai can have two airports, to distribute the load. Set up a train terminal in Navi Mumbai to ease pressure on CST, Dadar and Kurla terminals Inspite of their best efforts, BMC has not been too successful in stopping encroachment in Mumbai. Set-up a private anti-encroachment unit in Navi Mumbai. Pro-actively create low-income housing in Navi Mumbai. To better quality of lives of Mumbaikars, outsource certain functions of BMC viz: schooling system to corporations and NGOs; Garbage collection; Water supply. BMC can continue to handle other critical activities. On roads, where pedestrians cannot use footpaths, reduce width of footpaths Evaluate the need for priority lanes for BEST buses with adequate parking for taxis Offer VRS to taxi-owners by converting existing license into a 2-wheeler taxi licenseIt is time for action!
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