 |
|
||
 |
|||
| Improve Your World | Home | About Us | Sitemap | Search | Contact Us | ||
|
|
||||||||
| Also see : Administrative Wards of Mumbai, Government Acts(By Topic), Government Schemes |
| Please help us in making this a comprehensive resource section for those directly connected or affected by this issue e.g. citizens, NGOs, government officers, students, teachers, researchers. Please directly upload or email us relevant content. This can include lists, articles, photographs, research papers, links to websites, etc. Please volunteer as an expert panelist to whom we can direct queries from our website visitors. |
| Home >> Mumbai Projects by Government >> City Transformation |   Email this Page |
|
|||
|
TOI : City Project - VISION 2021 : Sept 21, 2007 Neighbouring Towns. TOI Gives You A Sneak Peek Prafulla Marpakwar I TNN Mumbai: A Canada-based infrastructure development agency has drafted a plan, estimated to cost Rs 2.93 lakh crore over the next 14 years, to transform the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region into an urban conglomerate with world-class infrastructure, a vibrant economy and an enviable quality of life. The most important suggestions in the report have to do with transport and infrastructure. It recommends the extension of the Trans-Harbour Link (Sewri-Nhava) to Worli and says the Bandra-Kurla Complex, through which the Charkop-Bandra-Kurla-Mankhurd mass-transit corridor will pass, can be a mixeduse zone for high-density development. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority appointed Canada-based LEA International to prepare the report after getting the recommendations of a task-force set up by chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh for MMR's development and the comments of a joint Bombay First-McKinsey team on the same subject. LEA International, in collaboration with its local wing (LEA Associates-South Asia), submitted its final report to MMRDA a week back. "It will be studied and will be submitted to the state government along with recommendations for its implementation,'' a senior bureaucrat told TOI on Thursday. "We aim to provide a competitive, liveable, bankable and well-governed MMR,'' the official said. But the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) study reveals several areas of concern. High real-estate prices, a large proportion of slumdwellers, a water supply that is often on the brink, poor solid-waste management and extreme vulnerability to floods give Mumbai a very poor ranking (it is 150th in the list of metros) in the quality-of-life index, the report says. The report makes a caustic comment on the governance structure in MMR and says it is quite complex. "There are urban local bodies ranging from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to C-class municipal councils like Alibag, several metropolitan agencies, the ministry of railways and, as a result, major development issues are not adequately addressed,'' it says. The report also minces no words about the threats that Mumbai faces; they are competition from other Indian cities and those of other developing countries that provide a better quality of life and cheaper real estate prices as well as Mumbai's inability to convert economic momentum into investment in infrastructure and improve business environment. The report asks the government to bring down office rentals, reduce the proportion of slum-dwellers to 20 per cent of the population, ensure 24x7 power supply in the entire MMR and see to it that no life and property is lost and traffic is not disturbed because of flooding. Besides, the maximum density of passengers in trains cannot exceed seven persons to a square metre, average bus speeds have to be at least 20 km/hr and vehicular speed has to be 30 km/hr. The consultant also feels it is essential to strengthen and restructure MMRDA to address governance issues. But Mumbai has in itself the ability to turn things around with its strengths, the report says. The biggest advantage is the presence of two sea ports and an airport, a long history of international trade, the presence of reputed research and educational institutions, a reasonably good (albeit stressed) power supply and an efficient public transport system. And the seemingly high cost (Rs 2.93 lakh crore) should not be seen as prohibitive, the report says. Capital investment can be funded through a combination of private capital, loans, development charges and Central grants. But extensive reforms and a forceful and timely implementation are required to achieve the funding targets. National infrastructure can be financed by Central government agencies through budgetary resources or by attracting private investments (as is being done in the airport). The report proposes "betterment charges'' (for the increase in the value of land), impact fees, area-based development charges and valuebased development charges on all land transactions. PRICEY BUT POOR QUALITY OF LIFE The draft plan gives an overview of the quality of life in all the cities and towns in MMR Mumbai's office rents are higher than cities like Geneva, New York, Washington D C, Amsterdam and Singapore despite the fact that most of them are in developed nations. But Mumbai is way behind all these cities when it comes to quality of life. It is ranked 150th (Geneva is 2nd, Amsterdam 13th, Singapore 34th, Washington D C 41st and New York 46th). 64% of Mumbai's households live in one-room dwellings; for entire urban India, that figure is only 35%. Average housing space for each person is only 4 square metres in Mumbai. The average price of property in Mumbai and the average income suggest about 90% of Mumbai's population cannot afford housing in Mumbai. 45% of people in Mumbai and its neighbouring towns within MMR area live in slums. THE COST OF DEVELOPMENT The plan estimates infrastructure expenses of Rs 293,870 crore and divides them into four major categories National-level infrastructure includes large projects like airports and will cost Rs 33,337 crore. Metropolitan-level infrastructure includes projects improving connectivity between cities and will cost Rs 220,765 crore. Municipality-level infrastructure includes projects improving quality of life in individual cities and towns and they are likely to cost Rs 27,548 crore. Land and housing will entail a total expense of Rs 12,221 crore. TOTAL EXPENSES: Rs 293,870 crore THE INCOME The report suggests how money can be raised for the projects USER CHARGES LOCAL TAXES GRANTS FROM FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS PRIVATE SECTOR HELP BETTERMENT LEVY (FOR INCREASING VALUE OF LAND) DEVELOPMENT CHARGES LONG-TERM LEASE OF LAND THE SECTORS The report recommends what must be done in each sector over the years till 2021 to make Mumbai and its surroundings a world-class place RAILWAY TRANSPORT The average resident of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region travels 26 km by train daily. The highest commuter density in second-class general compartments occurs in the Dahisar-Borivli segment; 9 persons occupy every square metre of space at any given time. The highest commuter density in second-class general compartments has been found to be 16 people occupying a square metre of space. The maximum flow of passengers is across Mahim; almost 14 lakh passengers travelling in both directions cross the station between 6 am and 11 am and again between 5 pm and 11 pm. The plan recommends inter-city railway terminals at Kalyan, Bhiwandi and Khandeshwar. The report estimates an expense of Rs 29,472 crore on the suburban railway system till 2021. The projected expense for Metro Railway till 2021 is Rs 69,911 crore. ROAD TRANSPORT The plan recommends the extension of the Trans-Harbour Link (between Navi Mumbai and Sewri) to Worli. It suggests modern inter-city bus terminals be set up at Mumbai Central, Borivli, Virar and Thane. Dedicated bus lanes must be set up on the Fountain-Suman Nagar, airport-Kanjur Marg-Ambarnath-Titwala, Thane-Panvel, Dahisar-Virar and Bhiwandi-Kalyan routes. The report estimates an expense of Rs 46,840 crore (till 2021) for revamping the highway system. It estimates an expense of Rs 800 crore on the bus system. The expense for truck and inter-city bus terminals is projected to be Rs 2,038 crore (also includes plans for inter-city railway terminals). WATER TRANSPORT The plan suggests development of passenger transport on water; that will also boost revenue from tourism, fishing and other recreational activities. It estimates an expense of Rs 480 crore for passenger water transport projects. Development of infrastructure within Mumbai Port Trust jurisdiction will cost Rs 2,633 crore; similar expenses for the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and the Rewas-Aware port are pegged at Rs 11,804 crore and Rs 4,500 crore, respectively. AIR TRANSPORT Development of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, to ensure that it can handle the traffic volume projected for 2021, will cost Rs 9,900 crore. Development of the airport at Navi Mumbai is expected to cost Rs 4,500 crore. SEWERAGE 261 square kilometres of area within Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's jurisdiction is networked by sewers. The total length of the sewer network is 1,500 kilometres. The BMC area now has 63,610 public toilet seats. The sewerage and sanitation system will need an investment of Rs 6,684 crore till 2021 in the BMC area. The storm-water drainage system will need an investment of Rs 1,800 crore. GHAR EK SAPNA: Most Mumbaikars cannot afford to buy a home Publication:Times of India Mumbai; Date:Sep 21, 2007; Section:Times City; Page Number:4 URL : http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA3LzA5LzIxI0FyMDA0MDA=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom |
| Also see : Administrative Wards of Mumbai, Government Acts(By Topic), Government Schemes |
