Better than Singapore and Dubai

Representational Image

I woke up feeling sorry for Singapore this morning, specifically for what that country's tourism industry may have to prepare for in the coming years. That feeling of pity arose from an announcement in last week's newspapers, that Bandra Bay - a place I am not familiar with, but I'm told exists somewhere in Bombay - was set to become the next big thing in real estate. Apparently, thanks to the largesse of this city's many caring builders, there's going to be a whole lot of high-end residential and retail space coming up in that lucky spot soon. It will supposedly transform the face of that suburb and make it the envy of Asia and the Middle East.

That bit of news was particularly welcoming because one of the many things residents often complain about is how there isn't enough residential or retail space to go around. ‘If only we had more towers and malls' they say, ‘instead of parks and gardens.' I imagined the joy on their faces after reading the report; it must have felt like one of many dreams come true.

Also amazing was an accompanying declaration that this new round of development will make Bombay the ‘Waterfront Capital of India.' The report describing this as the city's most prestigious redevelopment compared it to places like Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, and Singapore's Marina Bay, hence my worry that those countries would have to work harder than ever to attract tourists. After all, who would visit Singapore when given the option of being stuck on the Western Express Highway between Andheri and Bandra instead? The choice wouldn't even be fair.

And yet, despite my unbridled happiness, I couldn't help asking if this would change anything for the better when it came to the lives of locals in the vicinity of this new planned wonder. Towers now dot every part of Bombay, and I often think of the millions living in their shadows and whether the presence of luxury homes in their midst has been of any particular benefit. Part of me is also aware that Bombay's builders are clowns who will say anything they can to sell an apartment, but that insult only absolves them of the real havoc they unleash with projects that ignore the city's crumbling infrastructure. It also makes me question if paying R12 crore for a 3-BHK makes sense when its owners must spend half a day in traffic to get home.

I grew up in a suburb close to the sea, so I have long been aware of how much ‘waterfront access' we have always had. I have also watched with increasing horror how these sweeping vistas have been ignored, paved over, and irrevocably destroyed by governments and their successive plans for a city they neither understand nor care about. I suspect those who live in Bandra will have a lot to say about new residences destined to rise in their midst, but no one appears to have asked for their opinion before, so why start now?

The builders who are now referring to the emergence of a ‘luxury waterfront corridor' do it as if this is meant to make things better for anyone except those who can afford to buy these apartments. Of what good is luxury housing if it contributes nothing of value to a city, and bequeaths nothing to those who can't afford to live in those apartments? Why must a city celebrate the presence of something that enriches no one but builders? And since when did luxury housing become a sign of progress over roads, walkways, hospitals, and hygiene? I'd be happier if Bombay were to become the ‘Public Toilet Capital' of India, and I'm pretty sure a lot of people would celebrate that accolade.

I suspect that I am starting to come across as a bit pessimistic after adopting a tone at odds with the opening remarks of this column. That may be because I am starting to recall what builders have done to every waterfront in my lifetime. I remember similar promises being made, of great buildings and amazing malls, and how these properties are set to transform one suburb after another, turning them into better versions of Milan, London, and New York.

The buildings have appeared, as have the malls and shopping arcades, but they have improved nothing. If you need proof, visit Bandra on any evening this week. Try getting from one end to the other without a fuss and ask yourself if it feels like progress.

When he isn't ranting about all things Mumbai, Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet. He tweets @lindsaypereira
Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com