Development Plan 24 Seven
Mumbai a city of 13.4 million will face its major change to the Development Plan by the
year 2014. The current government infrastructure does not encourage citizen participation in
the formulation of the Development Plan. However this process should involve the public in
the process of formulating the new DP and follow important democratic principles required to
make the DP a plan of the people.
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How can such a process be evolved and what these processes might look like?
How can the voices of many millions of voiceless citizens contribute to a more
democratic process?
 The “public interest” can be protected only if a plurality of voices is heard.
These are the basic questions that we will be trying to answer during the course of the
discussion.
Mumbai today is facing a lot of problems in many sectors. To name a few, there is lack of
housing, education, healthcare, water supply, and degradation of the environment. With the
rate of urbanization on the rise there is a looming power crisis at hand. There is an outcry for
housing, water supply and affordable healthcare.
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How can we plan for such a large population?
With the increase in the density how can we manage to provide the services necessary
for the development?
When can we truly say that the city has become self sufficient and sustainable?
The UDRI will focus on making the development plan Open, Equitable and efficient. Under
these parameters we would be addressing the various aspects of the city for example the issues
of housing, health, education, environment, public space, water, energy, transportation,
livelihood, urban form and governance.
Open: The Development proposed in the Development Plan (DP) should cater to all the
classes of the city and should not favor only one section. There are various types of needs
associated with a culturally diverse population and hence their specific needs are to be taken
into consideration in the DP. “Open” implies that the city welcomes all and the development
plan is inclusive of all. The City is designed for future growth taking into consideration internal
growth and migration.
Equitable: The Development Plan is a plan of the people. Developments in each sector
should be allocated in such a way that it benefits all economic classes within the city. There
should also be equitable distribution in the allocation of resources and development. Care
should be taken that development may benefit one section but may harm the livelihood of
other. It forms one of the basic planks that the DP has to take into consideration.
Efficiency: A good development plan is self sustaining. It implies that there are identified
funding mechanisms for the development proposed in the Development Plan. There should
also be perfect coordination between needs, development, and the funding for development.
Parameters: 1. Housing: 
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There is a severe lack of housing in the city of Mumbai as is evident from the rise in
the slum population. Various trades in the city require housing of different types and
hence it is important that the people get the housing that they want to better suit
their needs.
According to Census of India 2001, 6.25 million people (which form 54% of the
Greater Mumbai’s population) live in slums. They occupy less than 1/10th of city’s
land.
Encourage the development of Rental Housing; and facilitate home ownership loans
for all income groups.
When can we have equitable housing for all? How should the problem be solved?
2. Health: 
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Mumbai is in need of a standard of healthcare facilities. There is cry for public
hospitals where medical costs is at a minimum. There is also a need for specialty
hospitals in the city.
Wards B, C, D, and K East do not have any municipal hospitals at all. Wards A, B, D,
H west, and R North have no municipal maternity homes.
How can we improve the healthcare delivery system?
How can we eliminate gaps in the medical coverage of the city?
Population
Hospital beds
Population per bed
1130
Total(Greater Mumbai)
1,19,78,450
10597
(required-1/500)
3. Education: 
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With the rise in population of the city it is imperative that there is an increase in the
educational infrastructure of the city. The amount of primary, secondary, tertiary
schooling needs to be improved.
The total literacy rate of Mumbai is 77% but as the economic center of India Also the
numbers of municipal schools have decreased from 1266 to 1185 over the last
decade.
Why can’t we have 100% literacy rate?
4. Environment: 
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As the city expands there is tremendous pressure on the city’s waste management
systems and the Development Plan has to make provision of keeping the
environment of the city clean and safe for habitation as befits for the commercial
capital of the country.
We have 5000 acres of Mangrove cover distributed around in the city. We have lost
almost more than 40% of mangrove cover.
Mumbai generates 6,500 tons of garbage every day.
Alternate means of disposal? Places for disposal of solid wastes?
How can we protect our green cover from the axe of development?
5. Public Space: 
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There is need for generation of public spaces for the community to use. Mumbai has
the least public space available per person in the world. The ratio of public space
available in Mumbai is well below the norms of UK and USA.
In the Current Development Plan, only 6.5% of space is reserved for open space.
Expand Green Spaces. Make them accessible to all and within walking distance of
home they live.
How can we deal with encroached public spaces?
How can we increase the amount of open space in Mumbai?
6. Water: 
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The city of Mumbai is going to face an unprecedented growth in the demand for
water as the population of city grows.
Mumbai by the end of 2011 will need close to 5000 MLD of water and there would
be a shortfall in the supply as the projected capacity would be only 3800MLD.
What infrastructural developments would be required to meet the needs?
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State wide water supply plan?
7. Energy: 
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The City of Mumbai is already feeling the heat with frequent power cuts in the
suburbs. A comprehensive approach to the problem is necessary to address the
issue of the energy needs of the future.
Mumbai’s need more than 2800mw and the supply is only for 2277mw.
There is also a significant distribution loss of about 22% which needs to be reduced.
What infrastructural developments would be required to meet the needs?
State wide power supply plan?
8. Transportation: 
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Mumbai is a city that is constantly on the move, hence transportation networks have
to be most efficient.
Only 8% people travel in private vehicles but utilize 60% of the road space.
More than 50% of the population in Mumbai uses railway network
Public Transport has priority over Private Transport.
Efficient connection of the city? (East West Corridor and the connection to Navi
Mumbai)
High speed transportation? Locals barely do 80km/hr. (Top speed)
9. Livelihood: 
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Mumbai is the business center of India hence its economy needs to be studied and
adequate measures need to be taken to counteract any recession or negative
trends.
Encourage job locations in the city that are consistent with minimizing infrastructure
costs and maximizing the quality of urban life.
There is a trend that communities are not welcome and cannot find employment is a
violation of the constitutional freedoms granted to every citizen of India.
How can we assure all a minimum wage and affordable basic needs?
10. Urban Form: 
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As the city grows there is huge pressure to grow vertically. In such cases the total
form of the city also becomes important.
With haphazard increment in the FSI regulations there could be a disaster in terms
of the urban form leading to a city which will become difficult to live and work in. It
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is therefore important to study the effect of various regulations on the form of the
city.
Encourage preservation of the character of the city
What would be the image of the city?
Can we have a beautiful skyline like most developed cities? Should we have one?
11. Governance: 
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15,000 RTI are pending in the state.
How effective is the article 74 in its current format?
Creation of transparency and trust between
Government’s policies toward land ownership require it to give priority to the public
interest, not to maximize monetary profits.