Problems and Solutions - Mumbai the Megacity
Although Mumbai is a relevantly safe city, it has a crime filled underworld. With organised crime, smuggling, black markets, and kidnapping the rich for vast ransoms. Overcrowded trains and roads, pollution, poor sanitation and overpopulation in slums are also common urban problems in Mumbai. Some problems are being targeted more than others but there is a solution for every problem.

Problem

Solution

Traffic Congestion

With trains arriving at the station every 3 minutes and transporting approximately 6 million people a day, the trains in Mumbai are heavily packed each day. Not only are the trains packed, but the roads are commonly seen excessively congested in peak hour traffic.

Pollution

There is approximately 7,000 metric tonnes of rubbish being disposed of each day by Mumbaians. With no mandatory recycling system in place by the government to date, Mumbai's waste is accumulating each day, and rubbish dumps are already filling up, polluting the area. On top of that, 700,000 cars are travelling on the roads of Mumbai each day. Creating air pollution with the rest of the manufacturing companies.

Poor Sanitation

It is said that most preventable diseases are spread through poor sanitation. This is due to there not being running water facilities in many houses or lavatories. As a result of poor sanitation in slums, many children suffer from preventable diseases.

Overpopulated Slums

Approximately 60% of Mumbai's population live in slums with no running water, electricity and gas. The shelters are made out whatever materials that can be sourced for a cheap price. The living standards in slums are very low and rubbish pollutes the area.so much that, large pipes are used as footpaths because the actual footpaths are too littered to walk on.

Traffic Congestion

Mumbai has invested in new technologies to prevent congestion. They are currently changing the lights where needed to make traffic flow smooth. Although this is preventing traffic congestion from being as bad as it has previously been, it isn't eradicating it either. Driverless cars have since been discussed but the decision has not been made yet, as 

Pollution

Driverless cars have been considered to prevent air pollution, as private transport contributes to the air pollution the most. The driverless cars also prevent traffic congestion, but the cost to fill the whole of Mumbai with these cars is too large. A group called URBAIR, Urban Air Quality Management Initiative, has been created to increase the quality of air in Asia.*

Poor Sanitation

Due to diseases, mostly spread through poor toiletry sanitation, many foundations, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, have launched new campaigns to create awareness about the issue. Some campaigns have even started a competition to find a portable and affordable toilet like structure that can increase sanitation levels in India and other Asian countries.

Overpopulated Slums

The Slum Rehabilitation Authority has been implementing multiple plans to rebuild slums. The current program being implemented today is rebuilding the slums into high rise buildings and offering 65% of the apartments to the previous slum residents and leasing the remaining 35% of apartments for commercial use. To go ahead with the plan, 70% of the previous slum residences have to okay the plan as they will have a housing issue in the building process.
* Evidence/statistics on what URBAIR's current strategies are and how they are implementing them have not been found
Picture
Images of Mumbai
Tessa Styles 8C