Mumbai / Indian Metros-Huge Slums-Why?

Mumbai / Indian Cities- Huge Slums
Firstly as far as Cities go the definition of Slum is:-Where the cost of the buildings as compared to the cost of the Land is miniscule. For example in Pali Hill in Mumbai, the cost of Land is anywhere above Rs Two Lakhs a square meter and on a FSI of 1, the ratio of the cost of building(@ 10000/= square meters) to the cost of the Plot works out to 10000/200000=0.5 or 5%. Even if FSI of 2.0 is taken then too this ratio will be only 10 %
In simpler terms a Plot of 1000 square meters will on the FSI of 1.0 yield 1000 square meter of built up area. Therefore the cost of the Land will be—1000 X 200000=20 Crores Cost of 1000 square meters built up area---10000 X 1000 = One Crores making a total of 21 crores. For 2.0 FSI it will be 22 Crores only.Now for the last thirty or forty years the Politicians + Town-Planning department + Builder Mafia has succeeded in turning Mumbai in to a huge Big Slum.
Out of these three, the Town Planners are the worst and most responsible for the present mess. After the British left, all the Town Planners, who were trained by them and worked under them retired and faded away in about 1965 and thereabouts and after them a fresh crop of Town Planners took over who although had the Architecture/Town Planning and Engineering degrees from Colleges but no knowledge of the Laws governing Town Planning with the result that although they were / are capable of planning for Cities on a clean slate (New Cities) but they have managed to convert the Older ones in to Huge Slums.
As a simple example take the case of Density of the area---the single most Important factor in any Town Planning Scheme. During the British Raj at about the end of Nineteenth Century when they started taking active interest in India, its people and its Cities (till the First war of Independence it was the East India Company’s writ which ran large and the British Emperor just looked at India as a Company Asset)they were faced with two problems. One—Improvement of Old congested and unsanitary (hearts ) of the Cities (which being native quarters were built without any proper planning, sewerage system etc over the preceding centuries). Second—Development of New areas and Schemes in a Planned manner including Roads, Water Supply, Railway Infrastructure etc.
The Schemes made by them took in to account the Density of the areas as well as paying capacity of the Citizens The paying capacity of the natives was very low with the result that they could not afford bigger dwellings and Land so the areas of native quarters were densely populated and to counter balance the density of the areas, huge Plots running in to Acres were carved out and allotted to the Rich (who could afford them) but the rider was that they would be able to build only one building (+ servant quarters) and the dwelling units permissible would be only as many as the number of Storey permissible thus in a one acre plot if the Floors permitted was three then only three main dwelling units would be permissible + about two servant quarters /each dwelling unit thus a one acre Bungalow would have only nine dwelling units or in case of two storey building only six. Thus in these Bungalows only about 0.33 to-0.50 FSI was permissible and most importantly the Dwelling units were strictly controlled so that any additional Floor area or FSI would not bestow any right on the owner to make more dwelling units. An increase in FSI would only entitle them to more spacious rooms etc.
Thus if the British, planned for a certain Residential Scheme say of 1000 Acres was to have say- a Nett Residential Density of say 200 Dwelling units (with density of five persons per Dwelling unit ) per Acre, requiring Planning for two lakhs dwelling units, they would plan in such a way that affordable Dwelling units on 500 acres say @ 380 dwelling units per acre are planned accommodating- 1,90,000 Dwelling Units and on the balance 500 acres, 10000 more Dwelling units with a density of say 20 Dwelling units to an acre are planned so that the nett Density of 200,000 dwelling units for the entire Scheme is attained.
Now in such type of Planning, Provisions for Setbacks on all sides was made and thus huge Open Spaces were created in Large Bungalows which were generally used for Plantation purpose by the Owners which were helpful in ventilating the entire area properly. Thus the British were able to Ventilate the area at private cost of the Elite who could afford to, and at the same time, the Planners were able to give affordable Accommodation to the other classes and even then, counter balance the Density.
Generally the Building Lines of the Large Bungalows were set back from the Street line by 20/30/50 feet and even more, so that in case of future needs, to broaden the Arterial Streets, these front setbacks could be easily acquired(being free from buildings). These Setbacks were helpful for Road widening , for Ventilation as well as for prevention of spread of fires and most importantly for Recharging of the Groundwater in a otherwise paved and cemented City. These huge Bungalows also ensured that a given area of the City would have a certain minimum length of roads to control Vehicle density.
That is why you are able to find broad roads in Schemes planned in the thirties and forties although at that time very few owned even a Bicycle and only a handful had Cars. The Planning was so perfect that the roads in these Schemes looked almost deserted even after hundred fold increases in Cars by the Eighties and the Infrastructure was able to withstand the extra load of about double the planned density.
Now the problem is that no Uniform Rebuilding Schemes have been brought in these old Scheme areas or in the City with the result that under the Garb of increase in FSI the Builders are demolishing these Bungalows and using up the Open Spaces and Setbacks also under the Garb of Increase in FSI. The increase in FSI is no problem at all in fact I recommend a still higher FSI but the catch is that nobody is paying any heed to the MAXIMUM number of dwelling Units thus the Density standards are being infringed by as much as ten times in these Bungalows thus upsetting the entire Density standards of the Scheme Area as a whole. In simpler terms- in Rebuilding activities a Bungalow of say One Acre which earlier had only between 6 to 9 dwelling units (with nett density of Twenty dwelling Units to an acre in an area having Bungalows of varied sizes) has as many as two hundred now.
On top of it the majority of Buildings being constructed by demolishing old buildings in Bombay do not meet the fire safety standards. They do not have the minimum six meters clear Open area all around (increasing with increase in the height of the Building ) the building and in case of buildings situated in narrow alleys, the Fire Engine can not even reach. In fact it is not at all possible to meet the Fire safety norms in small plots of 500/700/1000 square meters. The only way it is possible is by either bringing in Rebuilding Schemes for an entire area and also by fixing a minimum size of a Plot for Multi-storey group Housing Building. This can be done only if either the Plot owners come together and merge their Plots (which is impossible) or in the alternative the Government makes a Rebuilding Uniform Scheme of redistribution of proportionate share to the erstwhile owners and on their denial Compulsorily Acquires their interests in the overall interest of the Cities. In making such Schemes firstly the broader Roads and Transport and other Infrastructure should be built and then the Buildings demolished sector-wise and new ones built. Most importantly the Government should in making the Rebuilding Schemes completely ignore all buildings (other than important Public buildings) even if they have been rebuilt recently and proceed by treating the City as a clean slate. Because as I said earlier by Town Planning standards they are slums and of miniscule value as compared to the Land value.
In a writ petition in Allahabad High Court, filed by me against increase in density due to construction of multistory buildings, the Government has taken the stand that They are the need of the day. That is indeed true but Multi-storey is promoted to ensure that more open spaces are created while what the Builders/ Politician Town Planning Department –mafia are doing is making multi-storey buildings on existing Open spaces of Bungalows i.e. they are doing the opposite of what they are claiming i.e. they are in fact destroying the Open Spaces instead of creating them. In an ideal Town Planning Scenario, the FSI permissible(subject to no increase in Dwelling units) should be related to the ground coverage thus if the FSI permissible on a ground coverage of 40 % is 2.00 then for a ground coverage of 30 % it should be 2.5 and so on subject again to a maximum. This will ensure that more open spaces (kept green) are created in Cities. It should be clearly understood that green areas and proper Parking Spaces within Group Housing compounds are not at all possible unless the Plot is sufficiently large. In Mumbai as well as in other Cities of India Multistorey buildings are coming up on 500/700/1000 meters Plots and the Cities are being condemned to Chaos for perpetuity.
Because in making any rebuilding Scheme, for the increase in infrastructure, and creation of open spaces, the land available for redistribution will be lesser by about thirty percent and as such increase in FSI/FAR will have to be given.
One very important fact which the Government as well as Town Planners and inhabitants of the Cities do not understand is that increase in FSI or FAR is not objectionable as long as the number of Dwelling Units is not increased and this fact has been recognized by the Supreme Court which has approved the increase in FSI so that inhabitants of a particular dwelling unit have more spacious accommodation. In fact increase in F.S.I is the need of the hour so that people are not forced to live in cramped quarters as a necessary consequence the buildings will be taller so be it in fact it is the need of the hour.

For more details you may read my articles Speculation in Land-National Sport of India and other articles on Town Planning on my blog—sharmarobby.wordpress.com

Robby Sharma
865, Block-B, Panki Kanpur-208020
Mob-09415438326; 0-9235844258