Mumbai, India

• India is in Asia, it is an emerging country.
• Mumbai is in Maharashtra State, which is in India's richest state.
• Much of Mumbai lies on a peninsula (an island connected to the mainland) and has a deep water port, so large container ships transport goods to and from Mumbai, making up 25% of Mumbai's trade.
• Mumbai is on India's West Coast, so container ships can travel up to the Suez canal in Egypt and into Europe, 5 days quicker than travelling from India's East Coast.
• Mumbai is on a road and rail network that connects all across India, allowing people to access goods and easily travel from Mumbai all over India.
• Mumbai receives 1000 migrants a day from rural areas in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadhu and Andra Pradesh.
• The Mumbai Stock Exchange trades money and stock with traders all over the world, including the largest stock exchanges, such as Singapore, Shanghai, London, New York and Tokyo.
• Rapid population growth in Mumbai has caused challenges such as:

  • waste disposal - pollution
  • development of squatter settlements
  • housing shortages
  • healthcare
  • overpopulation
  • homelessness
  • informal sector
• A famous slum area in Mumbai is Dharavi.
• Mumbai is situated on the West coast of India, which means trade can easily access the Suez canal.
• In Mumbai there are 'Rent controlled' properties (landlords aren't allowed to increase the rent) which discourages property owners to make improvements because they wont get any more rent than they currently do. This means that poorer people live in poor quality houses which can cause health issues.
• Corruption means that areas that were planned to be affordable housing were sold to developers who created rich, expensive apartment blocks that only the rich can afford. This means that poorer people have less housing available to them, increasing homelessness.
• A lack of government control over the city's expansion, access to affordable housing, informal employment and lack of employment law and regulations as well as a lack of services provided to the poorest areas are amongst the main causes of inequality. This means that due to all the affordable houses being in one area, there is a strain on services, preventing people from accessing necessities.
• Squatter settlements are on valuable land which developers would pay a lot for if the government moved residents out of. This means that people may be kicked out of their houses in order for developers to build more expensive houses and bulldoze the slums.
• Traffic congestion is politically unpopular but new transport infrastructure economically very expensive. This means that the government cannot afford to implement public transport like trains and buses, meaning it is difficult to commute from the slums to higher paying jobs. The poor stay poor.
• No taxes are gained from the informal employment sector, this means that the government receives less funding and cannot afford to fund poorer areas in a beneficial way.
• A sustainable city is an eco city or green city, a city that a city designed with consideration of its social, economic, and environmental impact.
• Our Top Down Development Project for Mumbai is Vision Mumbai.
• Our Bottom Up Development Project for Mumbai is LSS.
• Vision Mumbai is a top down project that planned to make Mumbai more sustainable by providing millions of cheap affordable houses and taking people off the streets of Mumbai, & reduce the amount of slums. Plans to restore over 300 green spaces. Build free toilets and improve the safety & speed of railway lines. However, a lot of people prefer slum improvement, by installing piped water and sewerage treatment, to demolition. Rent in the new housings will cost more than the slums. A lot of Dharavi residents believe that Vision Mumbai only benefits the rich.
• LSS intended to improve the local sustainability of Baiganwadi, through health related work, education work, and community work.
• Health related work in Baignwadi from LSS:

  • ran education programmes on how covid 19 is spread
  • provided 200 leprosy patients with masks, hand sanitisers and soaps

  However it only works in one community and doesn't tackle the national problems.
• Education work in Baiganwadi by LSS caused:

  • education about leprosy, TB and covid 19
  • treats people by persuading them treatment is easy. Also follows up about further check ups.

  However, it only has a 5 teachers and relies on volunteers due to a lack of staff.