Mumbai 24x7 nightlife: Good for economy, bad for environment?

Good for economy says Dilip DatwaniIf I were cooking eggs at this point in time I would say that the hospitality industrys sunny side up moment is here We have waited a long time for this to happen Though this is the first phase a pilot where establishments will be allowed to be open within certain areas like in malls and commercial spaces the nightlife will give people breathing spaceThose who finish work late at night and had always wanted to go to a restaurant to unwind will now be able to do so This is a city where dining out falls in the entertainment category I think it will also ease traffic woes to an extent because everybody will not be rushing out at the same time It will also be help in employment generation and cement Mumbais reputation as an international cityInternational tourists hear about this city that never sleeps But when they come here they see the restaurants and other establishments shut at night Now they may delay their connecting flights to spend a night in Mumbai and this is very likely to help the government earn R15000 crore in forex in a yearFor restaurateurs who depend on the weekends to make big money this will give them a bigger window to do so and ease pressure The expenses should hopefully be offset by the profitI think this will also enhance safety as more people on our streets mean more safety The earlier deadline of 130 am stays for alcohol and I understand where the government is coming from It would have been good if it was extended by one hour at least but we have to take things one step at a time We are optimistic about this trial Lets make this great initiative workDilip Datwani is former president of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western IndiaBad for environment believes Subhash MotwaniMumbai gets a nightlife may sound exciting but there are huge concerns too Roads across the city are dug up and now we will have cars on these roads late at night even when commuting is a challenge irrespective of the time of the dayWill we have the police personnel patrol and enforce law and order when establishments are open 24X7 and there are more people on the roads at night Several times when there are problems in the day residents call the local police but they take time to respond because of skeletal strength We have to ask if the police machinery is equipped for this allnighter I think it would have been better if this had been mooted two years from now when we have infra and facilities to support thisThough shops and restaurants will remain open in certain areas during the initial stage the spill over of this will affect residential pockets For instance who can stop groups of people returning home at an unearthly hour from talking loudly and disturbing the peace of others We may hear bikes and cars screeching madly in the few hours of relative silence that this city hasLet us also see the demographic supremely excited by this It is the age group of 18 to 26 years who effectively feel that they have a licence to party all night This is going to be a huge challenge for parents too Those who work night shifts or graveyard shift as it is popularly called like in BPOs do report a rise in health problems While here people would not be working they will be staying awake till very late hoursWe have touched upon times and crimes but do not forget climes too Pollution reduces for a few hours when the city slows down at night Now we will see a rise in pollution with cars on the street all the timeWhy should Mumbai want to be a Las Vegas Why cant we be a green BerlinSubhash Motwani is president of Clean Heritage Colaba Residents AssociationCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates