Mumbai Musings

Hon.Chief Minister,
 
After the recent happenings,
I have been thinking how we can face the menaces affecting our beloved city of Mumbai.

1. Regards the Terror threats, my suggestion is to immediately instruct the Police force to build a team of dogs, trained to sniff out chemicals etc. These dogs will then be moving freely on railway platforms, air terminals and bus depots. This is besides the existing policing being done at the moment. Should the police notice any suspicious movement they can apprehend such persons for further investigation.

2.In making Mumbai, a better place to live in, have a concerted drive in a given area. Once the area is cleared, get the local politicians, the municipal officers, the local residents, the local police and others involved in a handing over ceremony. It is now for them to maintain the place. Here Hawkers are cleared in the morning and by afternoon it is business as usual.

3. Also make it a rule that Hawking is possible only from Standard Mobile Carts. No one is permitted to lay their wares on the road or build stalls. Also hawking is permitted only on one side of the road. The other path is free for pedestrians.

4.Build Markets in areas where the population cross a benchmark. Shift the Hawkers to the Market place on a first come basis. Make rates for Hawking on the streets double that you charge for similar space in the market.

5.Issue instructions to demolish however old, whether earlier approved or not, all extensions made to buildings on the ground floor. No shop on the ground floor should be permitted to display wares beyond the plinth area.All these extensions are land grabbing by muscle power. No society member likes to get involved for threat of life. The other way is to charge a Property Tax of 100X, where X is the standard property tax in the building.( So if the Property Tax for a commercial space is Rs1000/- per square foot per annum, then for the extra spaces it is 
Rs100,000/- per square foot per annum.

6.Give permissions for all buildings in Mumbai to have their ground floors if approved by their society to turn commercial. This will cause more avenues for wealth generation(for the individual & state), alternatives for the unemployed, and lesser hawking on the streets. 

7.No Sign board for any store can extend beyond 12 inches from the wall. All sign boards must be approved by a team of architects so appointed for the same.
8. No permissions to be given for erecting temporary rain shelters in front of the shop.The shop owner knew when he bought the shop, that rain will be there. He has to make alternates, and not encraoch on public space in the garb of serving his clients.

9. Signboards, Street furniture, building colour, etc must reflect some relationship.This is the way to make Mumbai a city of the century.

                         

10. A responsible team should be created to study the roads of Mumbai and try and convert maximum number to one way streets. This one act will ensure a continuous unhindered flow of traffic.

11. No Goods vehicles/Hand carts, to ply between 7.30am & 10.30 am and 5.00 pm & 7.00 pm on any road.This will ensure office going crowds reach their destinations on time.

12. It should be the responsibility of the Contractor to mantain roads repaired once, for the next 3 years.

   A case in point is the bend at Marol Naka in front of the Fire Brigade. I have seen this road being repaired every two weeks the past 2 years. This has to be investigated, and the guilty brought to book.

13. All signage in front of stores etc should be approved by a body so constituted. Norms should be defined for approval in terms of dimensions, color.Use of Power saving lamps should be made compulsory.

14. No signage should protrude beyond 12 inches from the wall.

15. No storage of building materials in front of any shop.These shops store huge amounts of bricks,sand and cement bags on the footpaths.

16.Shops selling building materials should only be given permission to book orders. Delivery of these should be done from a central warehouse. Every 5 km radius can have a warehouse.

17. All shops that have extended beyond the original building plan should be first demolished.Many have created temporary rain shades, which have with time become permanent.If business is good, they must buy bigger space, and not grab public space.Besides revenue for the Government, it brings in discipline and a better look city.

18.Express Buses should be asked to ply on the flyovers created to shorten travel time.

19.Once drains are cleaned, the silt should be cleared within 24 hrs irrespective. Payment should be done only on proof of it having been cleared & dumped at the dumpyard.

20.The new townships being developed at Lower Parel and other Mill areas, should be given a theme.

   We can have a Chinese style township, another an Austrian style, a third a Tibetan style etc. This could be in future an attraction for tourists.

21. Townships being developed should have water bodies like ponds or lakes.

22. 200 metres of either side of the Mithi river should be taken over by the Govt. Alternate accomodations provided to the dishoused. All workshops if legal should be relocated in an Industrial belt.If illegal should be demolished. 

23. The land on either side of the river, should be developed on lines similar to Dubai creek.

24. Infrastructure created first, and then these plots sold to the highest bidder.

25. These plots should be the next highlight of Mumbai.

26. Painting of Buildings should be compulsory every 10 years.

27.A team of designers,architects,etc to design carts of dimension similar to existing carts.Licence Hawkers alone permitted to stand besides cart.

28.Carts permitted only on one side of any street.

29.No other structures permitted to sell wares.

30.All carts of uniform size only.

31. Traceability in all approvals.If a job is executed,we must know who has done it, who has inspected the job,who has  approved the job and certified for use. Once accountability sets in we get our moneys worth on all expenditure.

One implemented without bias, you will find mumbaikars appreciative of your efforts in making Mumbai a world class city.

Trust you will find my views in agreement, as I await response and convey regards

Aam Admi
2011