Decentralization is the only solution for Mumbai.
The only politician who had an insight to solve Mumbai's problems was Shri Y.B.Chavan, the first chief minister of Maharashtra. He envisaged Navi Mumbai to de-congest Mumbai and solve the problems of over-crowding in South Mumbai and the pollution in the Western and Eastern suburbs of Mumbai. The chief ministers who followed him never followed him. They created the Nariman Point which added almost 5,00,000 jobs in South Mumbai instead of Navi Mumbai increasing the pressure on transport and other civic services. The authorities did not even provide proper transport connection to Navi Mumbai by railway or through a bridge to the mainland from Sewri. Railway came recently and the bridge is still far away. Navi Mumbai became a dormitory with many people traveling to Mumbai by bus. Even now a bridge across the sea to mainland would partially reduce over-crowding in Mumbai, and help improve traffic. It would also bring down the escalating real estate prices in the city.
A major decision to shift all government offices, both central and state, would reduce traffic snarls and the need for more water supply and more power to South Mumbai. This is unlikely to happen. The state government missed a great opportunity to shift Mantralaya to Navi Mumbai and build a capital to rival New Delhi. It would be act of great vision if all the corporate sector moves its head offices to the mainland as the state government lacks vision as far as solving the problems of Mumbai is concerned. With the fast telecommunication facilities ( mobile, internet, skype etc.) one can function from anywhere in India. We should have business hubs with residential facilities to reduce commute.
Mumbai has become too big to govern – see the potholed roads, uncleared garbage, unending traffic jams, the over-crowded buses and trains and proliferating slums. BMC seems to be unaccountable to citizens. It has spent only 25 percent of the budget on development in the nine months in this fiscal year, according to newspaper reports. It has not collected more than Rs.5000 crore from the state government, contractors and tax defaulters. It has increased the land tax by almost 100 percent and asked the housing societies to pay this tax for three years within three months. Can a responsible and responsive body can do it ? It is dictatorial. BMC must be divided into three parts – South Mumbai, Western Suburbs and Eastern Suburbs for better administration. Water supply, garbage collection and disposal, transport network should be by an autonomous bodies with professional management in the jurisdiction of MMRDA with representatives from the civic bodies and the state government. It is worth considering the idea of an elected mayor with both power and responsibility to give good governance.
Decentralization, decongestion and good governance are the keys to solve most of the problems of Mumbai.
February 17,2013.********
