Little progress on MUTP-II greets WB
By Tina Chopra
2 July, 99.

Mumbai: A World Bank (WB) team headed by Christopher Hoban of the infrastructure unit, South Asia region, is in the city to assess the progress made in implementation of the much-awaited Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP-II). Sadly, there seems to have been little headway made since the visit of the World Bank (WB) team last year.
The project still has two preliminary hurdles - that of the proper rehabilitation of slumdwellers and of the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) becoming functional - to cross before it can get underway. Hence the team has expressed a "hope that the project would takeoff in another 12 months' time."
This was stated by the team to the representatives of the Transport committee of Bombay First headed by Krishna Kotak, who met the team on Tuesday. The WB group, however, expressed satisfaction that the rehousing of those displaced under the project had begun and about 1,000 families had already been relocated.
The team mentioned to Bombay First that funds would flow in from the WB for the project's purpose once the MRVC became functional. The WB representatives mentioned that work on the harbour line would have to be taken up in the second phase of the project.
Speaking to The Times of India, Bombay First chief executive W. J. N. Danait expressed distress at the slow rate of progress and noted that "Although the Union Cabinet had cleared a proposal for setting up the MRVC in January, the corporations is still in the process of finalising its memorandum and articles of association."
Two years ago, the WB had decided to withdraw funding for the project due to a lack of commitment from the Indian Railways and the state government to implement the project. Two of its main conditions - that of establishing a special body for the implementation of the project and another for the rehabilitation of dwellers close to the railway tracks - had also not been fulfilled. It was in keeping with these conditions that the MRVC and the Urban Rehabilitation Corporation of Mumbai (Urcom) were established.
Of the proposed investment of Rs 6,433 crore for the project, the World Bank will provide about 60 per cent of the funds. The rest will have to be ploughed in by the Railways and Maharashtra government.
The project which aims at improving the public transport system in the city will include laying additional lines between Borivli and Virar, between Santacruz-Borivli, Kurla-Thane, a new rail line between Bandra and Kurla and additional rail lines on the Kurla-Dadar-Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus route.
The WB team also held a round of deliberation with railway board members and Maharashtra government representatives. The team informed Bombay First that a part-time chairman for the MRVC had been shortlisted. They did not divulge the nominee's name but said the candidate was a former chairman of the railway board. There are also plans of electing a managing director and part-time directors, some of whom will be nominees of the government of Maharashtra.
The team hoped that in the interim, until WB funds entered the country, the government of Maharashtra or the Railways would spend money on the improvement of signalling systems or the quadrupling of tracks.
Mr. Hoban also expressed a wish to initiate a process of public consultations on the MUTP-II and asked Bombay First to organise the same. Bombay First is now working on a "Transport Strategy Document for Mumbai" under which all 23 studies that have so far been conducted to improve the transport network in the city, will be considered in order to prioritise and identify areas that need transport support immediately.

52 'fly' overs and still no place to drive
By Tina Chopra
18 April, 99.

Mumbai: The debate on the need for a huge investment of Rs 1,500 crore in the ongoing flyover project in the city, is refusing to die down even after the work on several of the 52 proposed flyovers has been completed.
Experts say flyovers are a reflection of the displaced priorities of city's traffic needs. The real solution to the commuters' woes can only be found by improving mass transport system in the city, they feel.
Adding to the ongoing controversy, is the admission by Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) authorities that it was not even consulted before Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Ltd (MSRDC) embarked on this elaborate project.
Speaking at a seminar on Road Transport in Mumbai organised by Bombay First, MMRDA chief of transport and communications division, A. V. Ghangurde revealed that MMRDA had not been consulted before the plan was undertaken. It had not granted approval to any of the 52 proposed flyovers in the city.
"We were not consulted on the issue of flyovers. Out of the total 52, MMRDA approved only seven flyovers," Mr. Ghangurde said, and added: "No techno-economic feasibility study seems to have been carried out before embarking on a plan of this magnitude and significance. A group of flyovers can not form part of a comprehensive solution to the transportation problem in the city."
MSRDC joint managing director, P. L. Bongirwar admitted that no comprehensive reasibility study was carried out, "For individual flyovers, we conducted engineering feasibility study," he said.
However, this move to carry only engineering feasibility leaves much to be desired. MSRDC maintains that flyovers are necessary considering the rising entry point access to four expressways planned in the state - Mumbai-Pune, Mumbai-Nasik, Mumbai-Talasari and Mumbai-Sawantwadi.
Detractors of MSRDC's noble intentions fail to see that the flyovers will result in saving of about Rs 100 crore of fuel cost per annum, Mr. Bongirwar says.
However, experts are not fully convinced with MSRDC's plan. Mr. Ghangurde points out that the plan only envisages to ease congestion on the North-South traffic corridor in the city. "The current plan has neglected the entire East-West corridor," he says.
Experts say that the plan has not carefully identified the many congestion points. No relief has been planned fo heavy load areas like link between Andheri and Kurla (which includes traffic to and from SEEPZ and MIDC) and Tardeo, Peddar Road, Kalbadevi, Nagpada region. A plan for easing congestion in areas of high commercial activities is essential.
Admitting that the flyovers will fail to tackle all the bottleneck areas in the city, Mr. Bongirwar says it is a beginning to a complete solution to the traffic problems in the city. "Once the flyovers are completed, we (MSRDC) will concentrate on easing congestion in other areas by building more flyovers."
"We don't say that areas like Saki-Naka and SEEPZ should be ignored. We have been advocating development of Andheri-Ghatkopar and Santacruz-Chembur link for a long time, but unfortunately, these plans have been stuck due to heavy encroachments on these roads. We can only identify problems, but can't solve all of them unless alternate land arrangements is made for the encroachers," he adds.
According to Chief executive officer, Bombay First, W. J. N. Danait, most of the traffic woes can be eased if certain arterial roads in the city are cleared of encroachments. However, the problem is still unresolved. According to Mr. Bongirwar, these issues do not fall under their purview. "It is for the corporation to clear the roads of encroachments," he says.
While the planned flyovers can provide some solution to the traffic needs, the priorities seem misplaced, according to experts. "About 88 per cent of Mumbai's population commutes by public transport system. The flyovers which will essentially benefit car commuters are not a solution to the city's problems. Unfortunately, no orderly planning has taken place in the city. All efforts so far have been disjuncted and public transport system has been neglected," feels MMRDA metropolitan commissioner, Manmohan Singh.
Experts feel that state government should immediately look to strengthening the city's public transport system.
According to Mr. Ghangurde, there is also need to prioritise mass transportation which can be achievd by concentrating on other alternative options.
"Development of arterial systems, provision for proper buslanes and removal of encroachments from crucial heavy-load roads, proper pedestrian movement and intersection and access points, should be expedited," be says.

City needs a single transport authority
by Smita Deshmukh
12 October, 98.

While the visiting World Bank team has gone back to the US, it is learnt that Bombay First, an organisation representing citizens as well as the corporate sector, succeeded in making a strong case before the officials that mumbai's transport woes can be solved only by implementing the mich-talked of Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP-II). Bombay First is the first citizen's group to have met the World Bank team on this issue.
The Bombay First transport committee pointed out that the root cause of the inordinate delay in launching MUTP-II is the lack of a single authority which is accountable for planning, operating & managing the poblic transport system in Mumbai.
Though the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is the coordinating agency for this project, it appears that it has not recived necessary support from other implementing agencies.
The city delegation disclosed to the World Bank team that politicians in Mumbai do not seem to look upon urban transport as a hogh priority area, especially when compared with their attention to other infrastructure issues. The delegation feels that improving the public transport infrastructure in the city needs a firm political commitment.
As reported earlier, the team headed by Herald Hansen, consultant infrastructure sector, South Asia, & other members Jelena Pandelic, John Flora & Kim Cuenco held a series of meetings with state government officials to assess Mumbai's transport scene. The team is likely to present a report to their director on the bank's involvement in the project.
"Corporate offices alone in the city have 2 million employees who travel in horrible conditions. This clearly affects their work output as well as their quality of life. We wanted the World Bank team to understand that Mumbai has no option apart from MUTP-II," asserts W J N Danait, CEO, Bombay First.
At an estimated cost of Rs 6,480 crores, MUTP-II entails upgradation of the existing suburban rail system (6th corridor for Central Railway & 5th corridor for Western Railway, for example), rail & road overbridges & strengthening of the existing BEST services.
The state urban development department is expecting 65% of the total estimated cost of the project from the World Bank. As far as railway projects are concerned, the state government & Indian Railways would bear equal shares each.
It is learnt that during the discussion, the WB team expressed its satisfaction over the formation of Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) & the Urban Rehabilition Corporation of Mumbai (URCOM) formed for the rehabilitation of the affected people which was one of their long pending demands. Both these organisations are currently awaiting cabinet approval and are likely to become operational by December.
"We are keen to bridge the gap between citizen's needs & the plans prepared by the government & its agencies, so as to ease the difficulties faced by commuters during their daily intra-city travels. We want to help MMRDA in coordinating & monitering the project with different agencies," adds Danait.
Rehabilitation of the project-affected people was also discussed by the team & the resettlement plan of nearly 30,000 slums to make way for MUTP-II projects was reviewed.

Clean Up!
By A Staff Reporter
17 September, 98.

A global event to clean the world of its filth
Clean Up the World, a global event held in conjunction with the United Nations Environment Programme, will be launched at Shivaji Park today.
As part of the event, Bombay First, along with other NGOs and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), is launching an awareness programme about proper waste management. The programme will be conducted for three months at various venues with the help of various citizen groups, BMC ward officers and students.
Last year, about 120 countries, including India, participated in the event.

BMC sets up panel to modify DC regulations
By Nauzer Bharucha

Mumbai: In a significant development, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has formed a three-member committee to modify and update the development control (DC) regulations of 1991.
The committee consists of three retired civic officials, including two former directors (engineering services and projects) A. N. Kale and E. Y. Prasade, and ex-deputy chief engineer (development plan) A. S. Jain.
Civic sources told this newspaper on Tuesday that the main job before the committee would be to discuss and finalise several suggestions made by Bombay First, an organisation backed by several leading industrialists, former bureaucrats and prominent citizens.
Bombay First has recommended that commercial establishments be allowed to set up offices in the island city. It may be recalled that the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) had banned setting up of commercial establishments in the island city way back in 1977 in an effort to decongest it. Bombay First has also suggested that information technology establishments (ITE) be given permission to set up shop in the city. Allowing permission for commercial development in industrial zones, development of reserved plots and creation of additional parking areas are some of the other suggestions made by Bombay First which will be discussed by the three-member committee.
"Currently, it is a tedious process to allow commercial development in industrial zones. We would like to simplify the process so that such a zone can be used for both purposes," a civic official said. "The committee will look into these suggestions and study the changes required to be made in the DC regulations," civic sources said.
The committee will also incorporate and update all the state government directives and clarifications in the DC regulations. The policy changes made by the MMRDA will also be incorporated.
The committee is expected to submit its report to municipal commissioner K. Nalinakshan by the end of the year.

City Notes
3 May, 98.

Beat Poet

It isn't often that Mumbai's literary audience-which is one part young Elphinstonian -Xavierite fogeys and three parts gracefully ageing Parsis - is treated to the full Beat treatment, with a North European poet mounting the stage in a flower printed shirt and displaying a garland rudraksha beads around his neck. Hans Plomp, Dutch poet, translator and editor, is the 1960s personified - and if you want an encore of the non - stop roaring Kerouac - Ginsberg- Corso days, he's your man. Plomp's lively commentary on his own poems, his self-ironic asides, his onomatopoeic howls and straigh-from-the-gut emotionalism held his audience at the Theosophy Hall last week spellbound. When his poetry ended and his views on India began, alas, the audience began to grow somewhat restive - because there, Plomp simply gave himself over to repeating the tired old cliches about the filth and the decay and the horror of modern India, and how this makes it difficult for the spirit of the tradition to triumph.
It is not, of course, anyone's case that India is a tribute to moral or civic perfection. But for gentlemen like Plomp to waltz through Hrishikesh and Varanasi, commenting on how the sewerage-stricken water prevents them from accessing the Soul of India is a trific thick. After all, as members of the First World privilegentsia, they could just as easily access the Soul of India sitting at their terminals back home, on any number of websites devoted to the subject. Where Plomp scores, as poet and as personality, is in the matter of confidence. Despite the ferocious inroads that the electronic media have made into the customary constituencies of poetry, despite the crackdown of the consumerist thought police on those who beg to differ, Plomp and a group of his friends have managed to hold onto their commune situated in a village near Amsterdam. The commune is now under attack from a building conglomerate but, as Plomp says, it is only through wandering and struggle that one can evolve into an awareness of one's full humanity.

Self-Help

A benchmark in the efficient disposal of solid waste in Mumbai was set when the residents of Joshi Lane at Ghatkopar stopped depending on the municipal corporation and took matters into their own hands. The result was the Advanced Area Management (AAM) concept which has now been formally recognised by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation as an effective way of tackling the problem of solid waste disposal. Under AAM, the citizen handled more than just waste disposal, they also cleaned footpaths and worked on the placement of hawkers. All this was extensively discussed at a recent workshop on solid-waste management organised by Bombay First. In fact the municipal authorities have taken the AAM idea so seriously that they have decided to appoint a single nodal officer to attend to complaints from citizens on different issues such as water supply, garbage clearance, roads and encroachments. The nodal officer helps in acting as a clearing house for all the complaints and saves the time of citizens citizens who otherwise have to run from pillar to post for even minor issues concerning the corporation.
The concept is now taking root in Bandra and municipal officials present at the workshop stated that if any group of citizens in municipal ward needs a nodal officer, they have to approach the municipal authorities to get one. The workshop was one of the first in which citizens groups, NGOs, municipal officials and representative of industry took part in a frank and open discussion to keep the city clean. The action of the citizens from several wards in South Bombay who were present included conducting personnel and social development programmes to increase awareness among citizens, organising weekly meeting through various groups, evolving cleanliness programmes, increasing awareness through publicity in the media and transforming certain wards into zero-garbage areas. The action plan ideas also supported involving residents, hawkers, hotels and restaurants and other garbage generators to make the collection effort more effective. All very well.

At Home In Office
The office of the future could well be your home, thanks to teleworking
By Piyali Dasgupta
15 December, 97.

Star Trek and Mr. Spock were, literally, in a galaxy far away. Until now that is. Rapid strides in technology are continually diminishing what until a decade ago was termed "sci-fi." Another plug in this gap between the present and future is teleworking.
India's future is teleworking was the topic at a seminar organised by the National Centre for Software Technology (NCST) and Bombay First Initiative. The seminar was funded by the International Development Research Council (IDRC) of Cananda.
Dr. Ursula Huws from the United Nations University's Institute for Technology (UNU/INTECH) explains, "Teleworkers are people who work in their own home or use their home as a base, have worked at least one full day at home in the reference week and used a telephone or computer to do the work." UNU/INTECH embarked on a major initiative to investigate two distinct forms of teleworking in the Asian context. These are: Teletrade which are international trade-in-services and Telecommuting or relocation of work within national boundaries, either in people's homes or to remote back offices or call centres. The project is based at NCST.
Project director Dr. Swasti Mitter said teleworking could open employment opportunities for women and disadvantaged groups. Women could stay in their homes but at the same time contribute significantly in the workplace. Dr. Huws said teleworking could contribute to social equity as it can enable work to be shifted in time, to fit with caring responsibilities. This is of particular significance to women. Client-based organisation like banks are among the most benefited by use of teleworkers. In the US, 75% banks have already established a bank call centre, said Dr. Huws.
Teleworking, however, does involve some social risks. Other participants like Dr. Parvathy Rajan of SNDT warned of breakdown of social life at the workplace and negative impact on family life. Dr. Alka Irani of NCST said precariousness of employment and poor management practices are some of the other risks involved. Teleworking, if it does catch on in India, will certainly be an option for women wishing to persue a career from home.