Mumbai’s Urban Development Model Issues With Atal Setu

Source: This post on the Issues with Mumbai’s Urban Development Model has been created based on the article “Atal Setu is bad for Mumbai – its people and ecology” published in “Indian Express” on 17^th January 2024.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 1 Indian Society – Urbanisation – their problems and their remedies.

News: The article discusses the issues with Mumbai’s urban development model as exemplified by the construction of Atal Setu.

Background:

Last week, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link bridge, the Atal Setu was inaugurated. It has been advertised as a symbol of the city and the country’s development.

However, according to the author, this development model (involving the construction of bigger concretised roads and paving over open spaces) belongs to the 1960s. It does not take into account the importance of urban ecology and is hence outdated.

Mumbai’s Urban Development Model Issues With Atal Setu

This mode of development based on the Concretisation and Infrastructure Development of the city with roads, highways and tunnels creates several problems:

1. This mode of development produces more traffic (by encouraging car transit).
2. It harms open spaces, wetlands, gardens and playgrounds that perform vital climate mitigation and adaptation services.
3. Increases toxic air quality levels in the city.
4. The increasing extent of rainwater runoff in the streets.
5. The city’s trees are cut down on account of infrastructure projects.

What Should Be Done?

1) A different mode of development that takes into account urban ecology and dissuades car transit should be followed.

2) Urban planning should address and mitigate the air quality crisis and the lack of open spaces, intertidal regions and mangroves performing critical services.

Question for practice:

What are the issues with the urban development model in India? Discuss in the context of the construction of Atal Setu in Mumbai.