The price of living in a high-rise in Mumbai

Views from a high-rise can give you a snapshot of the city’s many facets. Pics/Satej Shinde

Living at an elevation comes with a cost - not just in terms of crores of rupees price-tagged onto those swanky apartments in the city's posh high-rises, but also with respect to the baggage that comes along. From waiting for a long time for elevators, to extreme noise pollution, and a feeling of isolation, residents find themselves caught between cloud-nine dreams and real-life problems.

A 2013 report by Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health states that those living in urban areas have a 40 per cent increased risk of depression, and double the chances of schizophrenia. Another recent study by Eindhoven University of Technology states that high-rise apartments create unpleasant social impacts. "In high-rise apartment buildings, the private territory is divided from the public territory and people are psychologically separated from the ground," according to the study.

Amisha Sanghani with the cracked window, which the developer is washing his hands of

Safety is one of primary reasons why they chose an apartment in such housing societies, residents of high-rise buildings say in one voice. "We hear about incidents such as thefts and house-breaking, but in our society, no salesmen are allowed which restricts uninvited people from reaching our homes. Additionally, guests, house help, delivery agents - everyone is checked, and entry of every person is registered at the main gate. Also, we have advanced CCTV surveillance. All this together makes for a safer stay as compared to the apartments we stayed in earlier," says Shaheen Desai, who lives on the 45th floor of Alpine Sarova Tower in Kandivali.

The view is something that one would die for - rather, pay for. "We were living in a bungalow at Upper Malad and shifted to this house one-and-a-half years ago. My mornings and evenings have turned blissful since then. The view is just breath-taking and sometimes the sky decides to surprise us with many beautiful shades of orange, blue, purple, and yellow," says Vedika Chaubey, an advocate, who stays on the 40th floor of Oberoi Exquisite in Goregaon.

Amenities are another aspect that attracts buyers. "Today, other than in such towers, you cannot find a gym, swimming pool, and sports facilities in your residential complex. Also, almost everyone has at least one car, if not more, and high-rise complexes such as ours provide proper, safe, closed, and sufficient parking facilities," adds Vedika's husband Akhilesh Chaubey, also an advocate.

Akhilesh Chaubey says amenities are another plus point of high-rise complexes

Emergencies are a cause for concern in high-rises. "A few months ago, my daughter heated oil on the stove and it caught fire. We threw water over it in a panic, which only increased the flames. We called the fire brigade, but they did not have a ladder long enough to reach the 54th floor, and they had to take the fire elevator. We managed to douse the flames by the time they reached our house," shares Hiral Shah, a resident of Auris Serenity, a high-rise building in Malad.

While the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) has been upgraded, with ladders that can reach up to 90 metres (around 22 storeys including parking floors), Chief Fire Officer Ravindra Ambulgekar says residents would do well to have small fire extinguishers at home, and also get trained about extinguisher usage and fire safety.

Amisha Sanghani, who also stays on the 45th floor of Alpine Sarova Tower shares, "A couple of weeks ago our children called us saying that there were cracks in the living room windowpane. When my husband and I returned from work, we were shocked to see that the window glass had cracks all over. We immediately approached our developer, who had installed the windows, as we are not allowed to change them. However, he refused to change them claiming that they were damaged because of our negligence. But when we consulted our interior designers, they clearly stated that this disaster is a result of either heavy wind pressure or strong sunlight. Now we are stuck staring at a huge hole in our pockets as these are heavy, toughened-glass windows," vents Sanghani.

Shaheen Desai talks about the upsides and downsides of living tall

Sharing other problems that one may miss or overlook, Akhilesh Chaubey mentions, "Only after shifting here we realised that there are a few things that we did not pay attention to while buying this house. For instance, we did check that there are two elevators dedicated to firemen, but we did not realise that if there is a fire then is likely to be a panic situation where people will run helter-skelter, and practically going down 40 floors by steps is impossible. While other lifts will stop functioning, these fire lifts will also be unavailable for the residents as they will be needed for evacuation of elderly, pregnant, and handicapped persons."

The residents also mention that though staying at such heights does give them good ventilation, once they close the windows, especially during evenings and monsoon season, they have to depend on air conditioners. "We enjoy the breeze. But when it gets too windy, we have to close the windows and since it's a glass façade, it immediately becomes hot inside and then we have to turn on our ACs. Also, the windowpanes are thick and heavy, which makes it difficult for children and the elderly to close them," observes Desai.

Besides, residents also fear for children's safety. "There are chances of children getting hurt as the doors, even when put on stoppers, bang intensely due to the wind, which can hurt children who play around in the house. Also, while we buy such homes for the view, ultimately it gets compromised even if we get invisible grilles fixed, which we have to do in the interest of our children's safety," says Sanghani.

Mental health experts have stated that they have seen quite a few cases where patients have made several complaints after they began living in their luxurious high-rise apartments. "I have seen patients who realised that they have a fear of lifts, mainly that they are claustrophobic only once they began staying at such heights and started using elevators daily to go up to 40th and 50th floors. Also, I treated a few children with medication and therapy as they developed severe anxiety after getting stuck in the elevators," says Dr Rashmi Joshi-Shetty, consultant psychiatrist.

Chaubey adds, "When we used to stay in a bungalow, many people would visit us often. Even my wife's colleagues would visit us randomly while passing by. But now after we shifted here, our social life has reduced by 70 per cent. Our friends sometimes say the security checks and recording entries make them drop the idea of visiting us." The very height of the building itself can be a factor that puts people off. Manish Udutha, 29, says that while he is fascinated by these high-rises, he is also afraid at the same time, as he has acrophobia (fear of heights).

"Even though I can afford a high-rise flat, I can't buy one because of my phobia," he says. "Of course," he adds, "there is a choice of buying a house on the lower floors in a high-rise apartment. However, I cannot stay higher than four to five floors. The fourth floor technically means the sixth or seventh floor in a high-rise as two or three floors from the ground are for parking. Also, several apartments I saw on the first three floors of some buildings lack good ventilation and natural sunlight. I would rather buy a house which is in good condition in the resale market. But now even older buildings are undergoing redevelopment, so I don't know how long I will be able to live in this city, considering my phobia."

While it is true that vertical expansion is the only option left for developers in Mumbai, environmentalists warn of the dangers that these vertical jungles are bringing along. India experienced an unprecedented summer, with temperatures soaring to 40°C or higher in many regions.

Unfortunately, relief is not in sight, as a recent report by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts that the duration of heat waves across most parts of the country could increase by 12 to 18 days by the year 2060. "Urban structures like high-rise buildings, roads, and pavements absorb and re-emit more solar heat compared to green spaces such as forests and wetlands. This results in higher temperatures in cities and towns relative to nearby rural areas, a phenomenon known as the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE). In fact, the average annual air temperature in a city with a population of one million or more can be up to 6°C higher than its surroundings, hence urban summers become significantly hotter," explained Prasad Vaidya, director of Solar Decathlon India (Sustainable Energy Lab) at the Indian Institute of Human Settlements (IIHS).

The experts also explain that with high-rises taking up so much ground space, there is no scope for the wind to flow properly. This in turn increases the land temperatures, making the city hotter. Dealing with issues such as claustrophobia inside an apartment on a higher floor needs smart use of space and natural light, say experts. "There are a few ways in which architects and interior designers can support people with claustrophobia, by helping design the space suitably," says Mumbai-based architect Gopal Zaveri.

"Avoid walls and partitions as much as you can, so that the place becomes open and spacious. Open kitchens and flexible partitions can be used. Very often, the windows and balconies are behind the sofa and the living room is designed in a way that leads us to face the wall, which again gives a feeling of obstruction and closedness. Instead, design the room in such a way that when you sit on the sofa, you face the window from where you can see the outside. Also, the height of ceilings over a period of time has reduced. Use maximum height possible - avoiding use of false ceilings is one difficult but practical option," Zaveri suggests.

40%
Increased risk of depression, faced by urban dwellers

2060
Year by when the duration of heat waves across most parts of the country could increase by 12 to 18 days, as predicted by the India Meteorological Department