Residents from Mulund to Lower Parel are questioning whether the city’s infrastructure can keep up with the rapid redevelopment as high-rises continue to change Mumbai’s skyline. Members of the Phoenix Tower B-Wing Co-operative Housing Society Ltd. in Lower Parel pleaded with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) earlier this month to delay granting licenses for new buildings until the current infrastructure has been improved.
This problem affects the entire city, not just Lower Parel. In neighbourhoods like Mulund, Andheri’s Four Bungalows, Bandra West, and Ghatkopar, older buildings of six to seven stories are being replaced by towers with eighteen to twenty stories. Plots that were formerly vacant are being turned into dense gated complexes along major highways including LBS Marg in Mulund, Kanjurmarg, and Powai. However, despite the spike in vertical construction, roadways continue to be small, and water and sewer facilities are unable to keep up with the increasing demand.
Milind Kulkarni, an environmental engineering PhD from IIT Bombay and a Four Bungalows resident, highlights the on-the-ground challenges. “We deal with dust, noise, and heavy construction traffic in an already congested city. Many new buildings rely on tankers for water because BMC’s supply is insufficient. If basic amenities aren’t available, why grant more construction permits?” he questioned.
Borivali’s I C Colony is another hotspot for redevelopment. Taller buildings now obstruct natural light, while increasing vehicular ownership intensifies road congestion. A local resident noted, “Nobody can stop redevelopment if permissions are in place, but road infrastructure hasn’t kept up with the influx of new residents.”
In Mulund West, Swapna Nagari residents wrote to the Chief Minister on February 7 regarding a large-scale housing and commercial project. Their concerns include the lack of planning for increased vehicular movement, with the only 13.4-meter-wide access road already struggling under daily traffic. Additionally, the Veena Nagar bridge over the Tansa pipeline is not designed to withstand heavy vehicle loads.
Prakash Padikkal, president of the Hillside Residents Welfare Association (HIRWA), stressed the importance of proper planning. “I have lived in Mulund for over three decades and seen its skyline change drastically. But how will roads and utilities cope with this transformation?” he asked. Bharat Soni, HIRWA’s secretary, added that while Mulund was once better planned than other suburbs, its rising burden is leading to water-logging, bottlenecks, and worsening congestion.
In Bandra West’s Pali Hill, redevelopment is in full swing, with 12 buildings in Dilip Kumar Lane alone being rebuilt. Madhu Poplai, secretary of the Pali Hill Residents Association (PHRA), explained, “Older buildings certainly need redevelopment, but authorities must ensure that pipelines for water, sewage, and stormwater drainage are upgraded to accommodate the higher population.” PHRA has introduced a charter for developers to maintain discipline during construction, including guidelines on work hours, fencing, and traffic management.
Ghatkopar is experiencing a similar trend, with old mid-rise buildings giving way to high-rises. Former BMC corporator Pravin Chheda outlined two major concerns: increased traffic in Pant Nagar’s Mhada colony redevelopments and the challenge of narrow lanes accommodating high-rises with over 15 floors, particularly in terms of emergency response.
A BMC official stated that developers must pay development charges to ensure commensurate civic upgrades, but urban planners argue that coordination between departments is lacking. Architect and urban planner Vivek Pai said, “One department issues building permits, but water, sewerage, and waste management departments are not kept in the loop about taller structures. This problem has grown in the last decade with rising Floor Space Index (FSI) allowances.”
Residents and experts are demanding an integrated strategy to urban planning—one that strikes a balance between growth, sustainability, and livability—in response to Mumbai’s unrelenting vertical expansion.
Source: msn
