The Car-Park offers 800 ‘paid car-rests’ in ‘G’ Block of BKC

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has extended the date to file bids to operate and maintain its multi-storey car-park, which offers 800 ‘paid car-rests’ in ’G’ Block of Bandra-Kurla Complex, up to January 20, 2010 with a view to accommodate more bidders and to make the bid more competitive.

The bids were invited in the month of December asking interested parties to file bid documents latest by January 5, 2010 and in all ten parties had responded. However, during the pre-bid submission meeting held in the fourth week of December, a few prospective bidders raised queries with regards to taxes and outgoings, availability of additional car-parks in the near future, number of entry and exit lanes, insurance for the premises, first right of refusal etc. “Though the queries were duly answered, because of the two back to back long weekends, the interested parties requested for extension of time to file the bid documents. We have now extended the date up to January 20, 2010”, said Dilip Kawathkar, Joint Project Director (PR), MMRDA.

The 30,000 square meters of floor space in a multi-storey building is made available with demarcated entry and exit points and other ancillary facilities such as ticketing offices, toilets, refreshment facilities and rest rooms etc. The car-park is also equipped with adequate fire safety measures with proper ventilation and lighting.

A pharmaceutical chemical company has purchased 15,000 sq ft of space at Rs 31,000 per sq ft in the 16-storeyed Crescenzo, a standalone corporate building at BKC. Mr. Dhaval Shah, director, Parinee Developer, which owns Crescenzo, confirmed the deal. He also said, “With prices in BKC bottoming out, this is the perfect time for investors and corporates to take a fresh look at buying space in BKC.”

BKC might also gain in terms of connectivity through the planned Metro and Mono Rail, Sion-Kurla flyover, Santacruz-Chembur Link Road and Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

Akloli-Ganeshpuri
Ideal for sojourn.The hot springs, Nityanand Ashram, Gurudev Ashram and the Vajreshwari Temple are some of the spots to see.
Akloli Dist. Thane-431 204
Tel.:(Std. 022913 From Mumbai 913) 61371/61560
Mumbai No. 8815000 / 8835000.
Ideal for sojourn.The hot springs, Nityanand Ashram, Gurudev Ashram and the Vajreshwari Temple are some of the spots to see.
Getting There:
By Air: Nearest airport is Mumbai, 60 kms.
By Rail: Nearest railhead is Thane on Central Railway and Vasai Road on Western Railway.
By Road: Mumbai – Akloli, 80 kms. via Bhivandi and 88 kms. via Ghodbunder.
State Transport buses ply Thane, kalyan and Vasai to Akloli
Accommodation:
Akloli- an option of deluxe/ suits/ standard A.C./ Non A.C. rooms (23 blocks)
Swimming pool with waterfall and Pure Veg. food Restaurant available.
Check-out Time: 10.00 a.m.
Reservation: Mumbai, Akloli.
Top

Bordi
Towards north of Mumbai lies Bordi, a quiet seaside resort fringed by casuarinas. The Dahanu-Bordi beach stretches across approx. 17kms. The area is famous for its chikoo and other fruit orchards. You can also visit Udvada, where the sacred flame of the Zoroastrians is kept burning. Bordi is also known for its boarding schools.
Dist. Thane tal. Dahanu-401 701
Tel.:(02528) 41243
Towards north of Mumbai lies Bordi, a quiet seaside resort fringed by casuarinas. The Dahanu-Bordi beach stretches across approx. 17kms. The area is famous for its chikoo and other fruit orchards. You can also visit Udvada, where the sacred flame of the Zoroastrians is kept burning. Bordi is also known for its boarding schools.
Getting There:
By Air: Nearest airport is Mumbai, 145 kms.
By Rail: Nearest railhead is Gholwad, 2 kms. Also accessible from Dahanu Rly. Station, 15 kms.
By Road: Mumbai – Bordi, 145 kms. Dahanu-Bordi 15 kms.
State Transport buses ply between Dahanu Road and Bordi
Accommodation:
Self contaied rooms- 4 Nos.(2 beds each) and Dormitory (1 block, 10 beds) Tents.(Except during monsoon)
Check-out Time: 9.00 a.m.
Reservation: Mumbai.
Restaurant service available.
Top
Jawhar Palace
Not for nothing is it named the “Mahabaleshwar of Thane District”, In beauty and climate it is no less. And there’s so much to see- the majestic Dadara Kopra Falls, Jai Vilas, the palace of the tribal kings, the Hanuman and Sunset Points and the enthralling Shirpamal,where Shivaji chose to camp on his way to Surat. Jawhar also offers you the unique opportunity to expose and enlighten yourself with the tribal way of life especially with the Warli paintings
Dist.Thane – 401 603.
Not for nothing is it named the “Mahabaleshwar of Thane District”,
In beauty and climate it is no less. And there’s so much to see- the majestic Dadara Kopra Falls, Jai Vilas, the palace of the tribal kings, the Hanuman and Sunset Points and the enthralling Shirpamal,where Shivaji chose to camp on his way to Surat. Jawhar also offers you the unique opportunity to expose and enlighten yourself with the tribal way of life especially with the Warli paintings.
Getting There:
By Air: Nearest airport is Mumbai.
By Rail: Nearest railhead is Igatpuri, 61 kms. on Central Railway but Nashik is a more convenient railhead. On Western Railway, nearest railhead is Dahanu, 65 kms.
By Road: Mumbai – Jawhar, 180 kms. via Kasara-Khodala.
Mumbai – Jawhar, 166 kms. via Kasa.
Nashik-Jawhar, 80 kms,Kasa-Jawhar, 39 kms
Trimbakeshwar-Jawhar, 56 kms
State Transport buses ply from Mumbai, Thane, and Nashik to Jawhar
Top
Titwala Ganesh Mandir
A pilgrim centre sacred twice over-for its Mahaganesh Temple and the temple of Shri Vithoba.
Another facinating temple is the one at Ambarnath, dating back to the 11th century, and in the “Hemadpanti” style of architecture.
Dist. Thane. Tel.: 911-381307.
A pilgrim centre sacred twice over-for its Mahaganesh Temple and the temple of Shri Vithoba.
Another facinating temple is the one at Ambarnath, dating back to the 11th century, and in the “Hemadpanti” style of architecture.
Getting There:
By Air: Nearest airport is Mumbai, 75 kms.
By Rail: Titwala is a station on Central Rly., but the more convenient railhead is Kalyan.
By Road: Mumbai – Titwala, 75 kms. via Kalyan.
[can be visited from Thane, Kalyan, Mumbai]
Accommodation:
East of Mahaganesh Temple-self contained 2 bedrooms (2 blocks) and Dormitories (2 blocks-12 beds)
Check-out Time: 8.00 a.m.
Reservation: Mumbai and Titwala.
Top
Ambarnath
Ambarnath is a rapidly-growing municipal town in the Ulhasnagar tahsil. It is a railway station on the Mumbai-Pune branch of the Central Railway and it derives its name from a shrine dedicated to god Ambarnath or Ambareshwar also known as Amarnath. The town has a temple of Shiva from where its name has been derived and Amarnath means immortal Lord, a name of Shiva. About the middle of the eleventh century a very rich temple was built over the shrine. The temple which is in a fair state of preservation, is prettily placed on the left bank of a tributary of the Valdhan river in a hollow shaded by old mango and tamarind trees.
Top
Arnala Fort
Arnala Fort, also known as Janjira or the Island fort, is situated at the north-west corner close to the water’s edge of a small island of the same name and is approx.14.49 kms north of Vasai and is located in the village of Agashi in Vasai taluka. It was constructed by the Gujarat Sultan Mahumad Begada about the year 1516 and commands the southern and main entrance to the Vaitarna river which is the most extensive inlet in north Konkan. Today the fort is in a fair state of preservation and comparable water-supply.
Top
Badlapur
Badlapur is a non-municipal town in Ulhasnagar tahsil notified as town for the first time in 1971. It is a railway station on the Mumbai-Pune route of the Central Railway and is located about three kilometres from the town and 68 kilometres from Mumbai, 34 kilometres from Thane and ten kilometres from Ulhasnagar.
Top
Bassein (Vasai)
Bassein or Vasai is the settlement located on the western coast about 48 kms. to the north of Mumbai on the right or the north bank of the Thane creek is a municipal town wehre the municipality was established as early as in 1864. It is the headquarters of the taluka bearing the same name and covers an area of eight square kms. A good metalled road about seven kms. long leads to Vasai Road railway station on the Western Railway. The Portuguese ruins, which are nearly hid by palm groves and brushwood, stand about fifteen feet above high water level on a low flat plot of land, the south-west point of the rich and well-wooded tract, which, being cut off from the mainland by the Gokhivra or Sopara creek, was formerly known as Vasai island.
Top
Bhayndar
A railway station on the suburban tract of the Western Railway from Churchgate to Virar, Bhayndar is a non-municipal town in Thane tahsil under the functional category of industr as per the Census of 1971. The town is the centre for the manufacture of plastic foot-ware and household articles, steel furniture and salt.
Top
Bhivandi
Bhivandi is the head-quarters of the taluka bearing the same name. It lies between the Kamvari creek and the Agra road. It is divided intotwo chief portions, each forming a separate survey village, Bhivandi proper and Nizampur, which may be roughly said to lie, the former to the west and latter to the east of the Lendi creek which meets the Kamvari creek.The Kamvari is tidal for about a kilometre and a half above the town where a dam was built by Kashibai Garboli of Vasai. After running westward for eleven or thirteen kilomtres, the creek joins the large Vasai and Thane creek at Kerne Deve.
The town is located at a distance of 51 kms. from Mumbai, the State head-quarters and 16 kilometres from Thane, the district head-quarters. Kalyan is the nearest railway station and is located at a distance of ten kilometres. The town is located on the Mumbai-Agra road and as such all the traffic toward that direction goes through Bhiwandi and it has become a sort of a junction of State transport routes.
Top
Dahanu
Dahanu is a non-municipal town and the headquarters of the taluka bearing the same name located towards the north of the district. The town is located at a distance of 124 kms. from Mumbai, the State headquarters and 169 kms. from Thane, the district headquarters. It is located at a distance of four kilometres from Dahanu Road railway station on the Western Railway with which it is connected by a tarred road on which a number of State Transport buses ply regularly. It is a port which was of repute since olden days.
Top
Dombivli
Dombivli, a municipal town in Kalyan tahsil, is located at a distance of twenty kilometres fro Thane and six kilometres from Kalyan and is a railway station on the Central Railway. It is a growing town its vicinity to Mumbai and Thane and availability of local train services from the place has given it the position of the suburb of Mumbai. Many of those employed in Mumbai find their residences in Dombivli. A big industrial complex has been developed around Dombivli and it is a centre of the manufacture of many industrial consumers goods.
Top
Ganeshpuri
allowed by the residence of Swami Nityanand Maharaj, Ganeshpuri is a small township about seventy-five kilometres from Mumbai and eighteen kilometres from Bhivandi. Even before the place was hallowed by Swami Nityanand Maharaj it was famous for hot-water springs. The township is located at the banks of the Tansa and a number of hot-water springs could be noticed in the bed of the Tansa and surrounding area. In front of the temple dedicated to Shri Bhimeshwar, there are four kundas which according to the local tradition are said to have been built for 800 years ago. Water collected in one of the kundas flows to the second, from there to third and subsequently to fourth from where it flows to into the river.
Bhimeshwar Temple : Ancient in appearance the temple dedicated to Bhimeshwar has an entrance flanked by two niches holding the images of Hanuman to the left and of Dattatreya to the right. Just inside the entrance is a four-arched porch or canopy housing shiva’s bull or Nandi. Besides there are images of Ganapati and Vishnu also a well proportioned image of Parvati.
Sadguru Nityanand Maharaj Samadhi Mandir : Sadguru Nityanand Maharaj attained mahanirvan on 8th August 1961. A temporary samadhi was constructed over the spot where his holy remains lie interned.
Behind the samadhi, to the west, is a shrine dedicated to Lord Krishna and constructed by the Swami Maharaj. Another shrine dedicated to Goddess Bhadrakali has also been constructed by the Swami Maharaj.
Another well laid out big building constructed to meet the growing needs of the ashram is the Annapurna Mandir with dining hall accommodating about 800 persons at a time
Top
Kalyan
Kalyan , the headquarters of the Kalyan tahsil, lies at the junction of the Mumbai-Bhusawal-Nagpur line and the Mumbai-Pune line of the Central Railway and is an important suburban railway station. It is located about 53 kms. north-east of Mumbai. It stands pretty on outer of or east side of a deep bend in the Ulhas river. A large industrial belt is located to the south-east from Kalyan to Kulgaon(i.e., Badlapur), where many large and middle sized industries are concentrated. The town stretches from the Railway station about two and half miles north-west to the bank of the creek (Ulhas river). The famous rugged fort of Mahuli which was the last resort of Shahaji before he surrendered to the Moghals near Washind is seen to the north-east of this town to great advantage. The eastern side of Kalyan formerly known as camp, has now grown up into a township as Ulhasnagar is mostly inhabited by refugees who had come to India after partition of the country.
Top
Kashi Mira
Kashi and Mira are two villages in Thane taluka located close to each other. The surroundings of the two villages abound in natural beauty and scenery. Just after leaving the check-post at Dahisar is an open surface with the backdrop of hills with zigag paths leading up the hills. And it is this flushy background that has given these two villages the name “Kashimira”.
Top
Manor
Manor is a village in Palghar taluka on the Vaitarna lying about sixteen kilometres east of Palghat and 9.6 kilometres east of Asheri. The Vaitarna is tidal at Manor and boats of tons could pass to the landing place in ordinary tides and boats of ten tons at springs. At present no port facilities are available at Manor and there is no trade as such. Formerly it was a centre for trade in wood.
Top
Shahad
Shahad, a village in Kalyan tahsil now included in the urban area of Ulhasnagar, is a railway station on the Central Railway. The village has come to prominence due to the growth of the industrial complex around it, the refugee camp and the magnificent temple of Vitthal constructed recently and popularly known as Birla Mandir.
Top
Shahapur
Shahapur, the head-quarters of the taluka bearing the same name lies on the Mumbai-Agra road about 86.905 kilometres to the north-east of Mumbai and about 2.5 kilometres from Asangaon railway station, formerly known as Shahapur railway station. The town stands on the banks of a perennial stream of the Bhadangi, a feeder of the Bhatsa river and about eight kilometres from the foot of the Mahuli fort. It is well connected by the Road Transport to the nearby towns of Bhivandi, Kalyan, Nasik and other rural areas.
Top
Siddhagad Fort
Siddhagad or Sidgad Fort, situated adout sixteen kilometres south-east of Murbad, is divided into lower and an upper fort. The lower fort which completely commands the Gaidhara pass is nearly 900 feet above pass-level and approximately 1,400 feet above the level of the sea. The upper fort which is 900 feet above the tower and approx. 3236 feet above the sea, is on a level which the Deccan from which it is separated by an immense chasm.
Top
Sopara
Sopara, a small village in Bassein taluka, is a railway station on the Western Railway and lies about 10 kms. to the north-west of the Bassein Road railway station and equidistant to the south west of Virar railway station.
Top
Thane
Thane or Sthan that is the settlement also known in the past as Konkan Thane being the head-quarters of the Konkan kingdom of the Shilaharas and is the head-quarters of the district bearing the same name. It is a railway station on the Central Railway located at a distance of 34 kilometres to the north-east of Mumbai V.T. This former head-quarters of the Salsette sub-division is prettily placed on the west shore of the Salsette Creek, in wooded country, between the Yeur range of Salsette hills on the west and the steep picturesque Parsik peaks on the mainland to the south-east. The fort, the Portuguese Cathedral, a few carved and engraved stones, and several large reservoirs are the only signs that go to show that Thane was once a great city.
Top
Ulhasnagar
Ulhasnagar is a municipal town and the head-quarters of the tahsil bearing the same name. It is a railway station on the Mumbai-Pune route of the Central Railway. A phenomenal growth is witnessed in the town and it can be mainly attributed to the rehabilitation of refugees from Pakistan, after the partition of India. It is a centre for production of rayon silk, dyes and transistor sets.
Top
Vada
Vada, the headquarters of the taluka bearing same name, is a non-municipal town. It is located at a distance of 58 kms. from Thane, the district headquarters, and 93 kms from Mumbai, the State headquarters. Kalyan, the nearest railway station to the town, is located at a distance of 54 kms.
Top
Washind
Washind is railway station on the Mumbai-Kasara route of the Central Railway. It is a fairly large village in Shahapur taluka.It is located on the Agra road, 8 kms. south of Shahapur and about 78 kms. north-east of Mumbai. About 3 kms. to the north-east of the village rise the towering peaks of Mahuli which can be climbed from near the Railway Station. It is the place from where begins the Thal Pass which is 23.469 metres above the sea level.

(i) The Sahyadrian region, entirely a forest country.
(ii) The Plateau country, with forested uplands and tilled valley pockets :

(1) Jawhar-Mokhada plateau.
(2) Vada plateau,
(3) Shahapur plateau,
and
(4) Murbad plateau

(iii) The coastal lowlands of the bandarpatti, a belt of market gardening, hay and dairy zone.

(iv) The lower Ulhas valley, comprising the lowlands of Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Ulhasnagar and Thane with a predominantly urban population, and an economy oriented towards the city of Bombay.
The Sahyadrian region : All along the eastern bothers of the district, the towering scarps of the Sahyadri stretch, rising abruptly from the plateau level at an elevation of 300 metres through sheer cliff walls, across a narrow strip of land, barely five kilometres wide. The crest-line distinctly visible from Konkan below carries many peaks and fortresses. The landscape quickly changes, rising rapidly in elevation, and is an alternation of desolate black and bleak cliffs with well-wooded slopes. The terrain is rugged and uneven, with many source streams flowing in deep ravines, separated from each other by shoulders and spurs that carry grass covered level ledges on their tops.
The region receives during the monsoon season a rainfall exceeding 300 cms; hence, the hills are clothed with tropical moist deciduous and semi-evergreen species of vegetation; the forest interior is dense with an undergrowth during the rains and for months after. In the hot weather, the undergrowth dries, larger trees shed their leaves and yet the landscape is far from being bleak. With the flowering of many of the species, the forest turns into a gay red. The main species that recur, are teak, ain, bakul, mango, amber, beheda, jambul and apta. The forest interior supports wild game. Most of the virgin forest cover has been destroyed over years, except perhaps in inaccessible steep slopes and higher elevations.
From the human point of view, the region is negative in character. Population is scanty and scattered in tiny hamlets that are precariously perched near water-holes that run dry during the hot weather and necessitate tiring journeys over considerable distances to procure even drinking water. The people are almost entirely tribal. Varlis and Thakurs.
Human interest in the region centres round the passes that have acted as Konkan darwajas and traditional trade-routes, since the ancient past. The Nana ghat and the Khodala ghat are also used to some extent for road transport across the Sahyadri. The Maratha fortresses, so strategically located overlooking the Konkan lowlands and having access only through deep ravines on the scarps. add a historic grandeur to this region.
The Plateau country: The Plateau country covers the eastern half of the district. It begins where the foot-hills of the Sahyadri abut into the Konkan at an average elevation of about 400 metres and generally slopes westwards, falling in elevation by steps. The Mokhada-Jawhar plateau in the north, the Vada plateau in the west centre, the Shahapur plateau in the middle and the Murbad plateau in the south are included in this region. The Mokhada-Jawhar plateau at the foot of the Nasik section of the Sahyadri in the northeast is an undulating country at average elevations of 350 to 450 metres and descends on the west by fairly steep gradients to the Vada plateau at a lesser level—about 100 to 150 metres. Separated from the Mokhada-Jawhar plateau by the deeply incised valley of the Vaitarna and further south of it is the Shahapur plateau. It is well defined by the Bhatsai valley to its west and the Kalu valley to its south. It forms a series of levels one below the other between 150 and 400 metres. The Murbad plateau, south of the Kalu valley, is at the lowest level — about 100 metres. Thus, there is a fall in the plateau levels from east to west and north to south, the individual levels being remarkably visible to the naked eye in atraverse from Bombay to Igatpuri, by road; the road runs for a considerable distance on level ground and then over short stretches rises over steep gradients to the next higher level. As far as eye can see, these levels are apparent.
The Mokhada-Jawhar plateau : The rugged and uneven terrain of the Mokhada-Jawhar plateau, extremely well dissected by narrow, steep-sided stream valleys occurs in two levels, the Mokhada region being at a somewhat higher level than the Jawhar region, further west. Areas of flat land, and adequately wide valley bottoms to permit extensive cultivation are extremely limited. In fact, farm lands constitute barely a quarter of the region; forests dominate the land­scape, accounting for nearly a third of the land. About an eighth of the land is barren and about a fifth lies under current and other fellows. Permanent pastures and tree crops occupy a small area in the neighbourhood of Jawhar.
The soils are stony and gravelly and infertile. The heavy down-pouring rains of the monsoon period wash away the finer soil particles, reducing the soil to an extremely coarse, open texture. Most of the fields are in the uplands or varkas area, and over a good deal or the area, the tillage system is dalhi, i.e., sowing the seeds in wood ashes. The main crops of the region is nagli (ragi); together with other small millets, it accounts for half the tilled hectarage. Rice occupies the valley slopes and valley floors or the lower terraces and accounts for a sixth of the cropped area.
The village in Mokhada-Jawhar plateau is a medium-sized unit, ‘ supporting on an average 700 people and located centrally on a level plateau ; a number of cart-tracks and paths running over the plateau crest before ascending the adjoining valley slopes, converge on the settlement It is a fairly compact unit, with well-built tiled houses aligned along one or two streets of caste Hindu Kunbi cultivators. Each main village has a number of hamlets or padas, on an average four to six, distributed all around along the edges of the level plateau, commanding the fairly steep valley slopes that are well wooded.
Very few villages are found on the valley bottom probably because they are too narrow to support a good-sized village and also due to isolation enforced by relief.
Jawhar was a former seat of administration of Jawhar State. Juni Jawhar, a deserted site in ruins, is at the edge of a deep, narrow valley and seems to have been given up in favour of a more central site on the plateau top, along the road. The township has developed as a ribbon on either side of the road, and owes its functional importance to its taluka administration, market centre and timber depot.
The Vada plateau : The Vada plateau, split into nearly equal halves by the east to west flowing Vaitarna, is at a lesser elevation- – about 150 metres — and is effectively shut off from the coastal lands by a double coastal range running north-south and rising to more than 500 metres locally. The valley floor is wide enough to permit good tillage. From October to February the climate is unhealthy, fever being rife in every village. Water is fairly abundant along the valleys, though on plateau crests wells run dry during the hot weather, and procuring even drinking water becomes a problem. Rice is the chief crop in the lowlands during the rainy season ; nachni, tur and vari are the other crops on the varkas. About a sixth of the area is under tillage, while nearly half the area is under forests. In the past, teak from the region used to find a wide market, but with a vast and negligent depletion of the forest-cover, re-forestation has become imperative; young plantations on many of the denuded slopes are slowly increasing.
Here too, half the population is tribal, mainly Varlis, Malhar and Mahadev Kolis and Katkaris. The Katkaris, slimmer and darker than the other forest tribes, are kath-makers. They till the uplands, after burning the brush-wood. They quite often sell fire-wood, wild honey and hunt for small forest animals and birds. They live in independent hamlets.
Vada villages are mostly clustered in the Vaitarna and Pinjal valleys ; they have fewer hamlets than the villages further east.
Vada is sited on the right bank of the Vaitama above the confluence of the Pinjal with the Vaitama. Built on a tank site, it derives its functional importance from administration and its weekly market. Manor, on the new Bombay-Ahmedabad road, is located at a site where the Vaitama escapes through the hills of tie Takmak-Asheri group into the longitudinal valley between the two coastal ranges.
Shahapur plateau : Shahapur plateau is very wild, broken by hills and covered with extensive forests. The northern part, north of Shahapur, consists of long wavy uplands and narrow, long, east? west running ridges, seamed by steep-sided rocky ravines. The area is drained to the south-west by the Bhatsai and its tributaries. South of Shahapur, the country opens out to some extent, and is drained to the west by the Kalu and its tributaries. Here, the topography permits a wider tillage, unlike the northern parts where it is confined to patches along stream valleys. The climate is very unpleasant, except in the rains with half the area under forests, and a fifth barren in this wild country, the net sown area is reduced to just about a fifth Rice, nagli, vari and pulses are the crops. On the level ground deprived of its forest-cover, soil erosion is assuming menacing proportions, leading to a highly denuded stony soil cover that is barren and useless even for poor pasture to grow.
As in Mokhada-Jawhar, villages are sited on flat plateaus with numerous padas strung around along the plateau edges and valley sides. The larger villages are strung along the Bombay-Agra road and the Bombay-Igatpuri railway line which traverse the country south-west to north-east between Kalyan and Kasara. Villages in the lower reaches of the Bhatsai valley are not only larger but more nucleated, with fewer hamlets. The villages on the plateau terraces suffer from acute shortage during the hot weather.
The jungle country of Shahapur is a land predominantly of the jhum-cultivators Thakurs — though Varlis and “Katkaris are also present in good number. These tribes live in separate hamlets distinct from the Kunbi village.
Shahapur is the route-focus of the region. Sited on the left bank of the Bharangi river, a tributary of the Bhatsai, and on the Bombay-Agra National Highway, Shahapur owes its importance to its administrative function as taluka headquarters, timber and saw mills and forest depot and a weekly market. Cart-making is an industry of local importance.
Kasara, the terminal for the suburban railway service to Bombay, is located at the foot of the Sahyadri, commanding the Thal ghat entry from Konkan to Desh. Khardi, also on the railway and road between Shahapur and Kasara, is a local collection centre for the forest produce.
The Murbad plateau : South of the Kalu river, drained by a number of sub-parallel west-flowing streams occupies the southern part of the district, and occurs at the lowest level — about 100 metres among the plateaus. The only large area of level land is in the east, towards the foot of the Sahyadri. The soil is poor and stony. Uplands are of little value except as supplying brush-wood for manure. Nearly a third of the land tilled is rain-fed ; rice is no doubt the main crop, but nagli, vari and pulses together are of equal importance. Water is scanty all over the plateau. Villages are comparatively smaller, with fewer hamlets. They are mostly Maratha villages in the west, Koli and Thakur villages in the east. The region as a whole is difficult of access ; the Kalyan-Murbad-Junnar road along the Murbadi valley is of some value in linking the area with the Kalyan region. The area is entirely rural and even the taluka place, Murbad, is a small market centre with about 6,000 people.
The coastal lowlands : The coastal lowlands of Thane form a belt, about ten kilometres wide, of lowlands and flats, seamed by tidal cream, and are backed by two hill ranges, running north-south, remarkably parallel to each other, and enclosing within the narrow Surya valley in the north and the comparatively wider tidal stretch of the Vaitarna valley in the south. The hill ranges rise on an average to about 200 to 300 metres and present fairly steep slopes towards the coastal lowlands to their west.
Physically, the region falls into a number of parallel longitudinal strips, from the coast inland. Stretching from the shore eastwards to a distance of two to three kilometres is a sandy strip developed over sand-beaches and living dunes backed by stabilised dead dunes, old beach ridges and ban. The shore itself presents a succession of alternating headlands and bays ; apart from the three wide estuaries of the Bassein (Ulhas) creek in the south, the Vaitarna estuary in the middle and the Damanganga estuary in the north (just outside the limits of the district), small creeks and inlets like the Khonda (Dahanu) creek, Tarapur-Chinchani creek, Dudh river creek, Mahim and Kelve creeks form alongsides extensive salt marshes and khar lands liable to tidal inundations. In many sections, this strip consists of old sand bars and spits.
Culturally, this is a zone of slightly saltish, sandy soils, a shallow water-table and rice-coconut fish culture. Well irrigation with the help of Persian wheels, rahats and pumps is of wide and increasing use, in fact so rapid is the expansion of pump irrigation that the area is liable to face water famine, with the exhaustion of the top film of fresh water in the water-table, and the sea-water rising up to take its place. The better-watered lands are devoted to vegetables, flowers and chillis.
Further inland is a flat alluvial low-land, with fairly productive black soils; its eastern limits are marked more or less by the railway. No doubt rice is the predominant crop during the rains, but after the rains a quick succession of winter and summer vegetables are raised making heavy use of pump irrigation, manures and artificial fertilisers. The entire produce finds its way to the city market through trucks and rail. This is also a zone of fruit farming. Nearness to the Bombay market is of vital importance in determining the market produce raised in the region, and accordingly, this zone falls into a number of south to north cultural divisions, with increasing distance and decreasing accessibility from the city. On the peri-urban fringe, in the northern parts of Salsette, dairy farming is of considerable importance. Just across the Bassein creek, around Bassein lies a zone of seasonal green vegetables and banana culture. The seaside and the creekside, how­ever, are areas of fishing and salt-pans. Further beyond, around Vicar, the suburban railway terminal, are a number of prosperous villages like Agashi, Bolinj, Sopara and others that specialise” in winter vegetables and flowers. Still farther north, beyond the Vaitarna estuary and its immediate neighbourhood, again a zone of fishing and salt-pans, around Palghar, Vangaon and Chinchani is a region of vegetables and chillies that can stand longer distance transport by trucks and rail. Further beyond, around Dahanu and Gholwad lies a fruit zone, where the local Iranis have developed a stable fruit culture, producing chickoos, guavas and pomegranates. Still farther out, along the northern limits of the district is a hay and fodder zone.
East of the railway is a zone where, again, rice is the predominant crop : but, hay and fodder culture gain locally an immense importance, because of the great demand and ready premium price obtained in the dairying zones on the outskirts of Greater Bombay and the adjoining parts of Salsette. Every rail-head here has a major hay godown. There is a persistent tendency among the farmers of the region to divert even productive rice lands to the more lucrative, less expensive hay farming.
The coastal lowlands as a whole have a larger percentage of area under tillage for obvious reasons ; permanent pastures for hay making and fruit groves occupy considerable areas, particularly in the Dahanu taluka. Barring rice, no other cereal is grown. Pulses are of minor importance. Well irrigation from about 6,000 wells, most of which are in Bassein taluka, account for the prosperity of fruit gardening in this region.
Industries are by and large absent from the regional scene. Yet, with the increasing pressure on space, during the last few years of the current decade, a few industries have set up units in north Salsette, around Dahisar and Bhayandar.
Villages are fair sized and inter village distances are low, particularly in Bassein. The villages tend to be larger along the railway, and towards the south, because of large service-seeking commuters residing close to the railway. In Dahanu and Talasari, the northern talukas, significant population is tribal, mostly Varlis. They are husbandmen, and agricultural labour, better settled and progressive than the Varlis of the uplands further east. Malhar Kolis are found all over the region.
Larger settlements like Dahanu, Chinchani-Tarapur, Kelve-Mahim and Bassein are all ferry points across creeks located along the shore, where large quantities of fish are landed to find their way over land by trucks to the city market. Each of them is a road terminal, linked with the rail-head, about six to eight kilometres further east. Dahanu is a huge collection centre for fish, fruits and forest products. It is a saw-mill centre. Chinchani-Tarapur, a twin settlement across the Tarapur creek, is an old settlement with a fortification, now in ruins. The settlement of Chinchani on old sand bars is a market gardening village while its fishing counterpart, Tarapur, has gained some importance recently due to the location of the nuclear power generating station. Chinchani has an old die casting craft, now declining. Kelve-Mahim is a fishing centre with a richer past. Satpati, closeby, is a large fishery training centre. Bassein, or Vasai as it is now known, has an old fortification of Maratha period overlooking the estuary, now in ruins. Around it are a large number of vegetable, betel and banana gardens.
Rail-head location has added vigour to quite a few settlements. Paighar is a collection centre of fairly large size commanding the rice lands and vegetable zone of the central sections, north of the Vaitarna estuary. Virar is the suburban rail terminal to the south of the Vaitama estuary. Bhayandar is a salt-producing centre.
The tempo of growth of this region has been hampered to some extent by the two wide estuaries, extensive marshes and the absence of a road, parallel to, the railway, traversing the country south to north. The construction of a road bridge across the Bassein creek has been of some use ; but the absence of a similar bridge across the Vaitarna estuary has shut off a smoother and more voluminous flow of perishable goods to Bombay city.
The Lower Ulhas Valley or the Kalyan-Bhiwandi lowlands : The Kalyan-Bhiwandi lowlands, below the confluence of the Kalu and the Bhatsai with the main stream of the Ulhas, lies at elevations below twenty metres and is dotted with occasional hills. Along the Thane creek runs the Mumbra ridge, deflecting the stream northwards into its estuarine course through the Bassein creek. Between the ridge and the creek lies a narrow tidal flat, extending into the salt marshes along the shores. On either side of the river, particularly around Mumbra and Diva, extensive areas are liable to tidal inundations, and the river-side is thick with salt swamps. The land is of fine silt in this strip, rising gradually to the slightly higher elevations of the paddy lands. Away from the river, the land is more undulating and leads to the hills in the backdrop.
If the physical landscape of the region is of limited variety, the cultural landscape more than compensates for this deficiency. Lying as it does on the transit corridor on which converges all the road and rail net-work from the Desh through the Thal and Bhor Ghats and from Konkan in the south, before an entry to the city and Salsette across the Thane creek, over the Kasheli and Thane bridges, this region has immensely benefited from its fringe location to the Metropolitan City. This is well reflected in the high densities of population, exceeding 600 per square kilometre (not exceeded anywhere else in rural Maharashtra), the predominantly urban character of the population, a significant proportion of commuting population that move in and out of the city daily, the receding role of rice farming and its replacement by market gardening and dairy farming on one hand, and the slowly increasing spill-over of industries from the city on the other. Strung along the railway from Mulund on the city limits right upto Titvala on the Igatpuri line and Badlapur on the Pune line are a number of rising townships that are mostly residential areas, but yet during the last decade have witnessed a slowly evolving functional differentiation, due to the growth of industrial establish­ments. Located at the head of the Thane creek on the city side, commanding all the arteries converging on the city, as well as the water mains, Thane is fast flowering into an industrial city, with two woollen mills and a large number of units producing chemicals, drug, tools and a variety of engineering goods. All these industrial units are located along the old Bombay-Agra road and the new Express High­way. The residential township adjoins the creek-side, particularly the older, congested parts. Newer developments are mainly to the south and the west. Administration has added to its functional importance. It is also a historic town, with an old port.
Across the creek, at the entry to the mainland lies Kalwa, a village in desertion during the fifties but at present a flourishing industrial township with a population of 14,551, dependent on the huge machinery manufacturing plant and an aluminium plant. Stretching from Kalva southwards between the Mumbra ridge and the creek is a strip of rice lands. A vast industrial estate has been laid here by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, bringing in a number of industries, accompanied by growing industrial colonies. South of Kalva, along the Belapur road, lie industrial units specialising in machinery, tools, engineering and electrical goods. Further south are large chemical plants and a vast petrochemical industrial complex, right upto Belapur. All these are recent expansions of huge industrial units of the city attracted by developed cheep land, power and water facilities. The recent opening of a road bridge across the Thane creek between Trombay and Belapur, short circuiting thereby the distance on the Bombay-Pune road through Mumbra, and the proposed New Bombay City Project are likely to further transform the economic and social landscape of this till-now-neglected strip.
Beyond Kalwa, along the railway, and across the marshes of Mumbra lies Diva. Mumbra till now used to hold the key to the road traffic to Pune and Konkan, but with the Trombay bridge now in operation, this importance may decline. Diva at present is entirely residential, but is likely to grow in importance with the Diva-Panvel rail link being further extended into Konkan and the Diva-Bassein link coming into existence. Further on, is Dombivli, on a relatively high ground, well drained. Dombivli (population 51,108 in 1971) has had a phenomenal growth nearly 20 per cent in the last ten years, as a residential township, in a rural setting. East of Dombivli is Thakurli, at the head of a bend in the Ulhas river, with a thermal power generating plant, supplying power for railway traction. About three kilometres further east is Kalyan.
Known as an emporium in the early Christian era, when Greek. Roman and Arab traders used to sail up the Ulhas, Kalyan is a town of historic antiquities. It lost its importance to Thane at the head of the creek, as the river silted. But it owes its present importance to the railway. It is the mute-focus of the fan-shaped Ulhas lowlands. Located on the inner bend of a loop in the Ulhas river, on low ground, it is liable to extensive flooding when the river is in floods. Not being directly connected with Bombay by a highway, its growth as a residential outskirt of the city has been rather slow but steady. Its present population is 99,547. But its industrial adjuncts to the north and the south-east, i.e., Mohone-Shahad (11,344 in 1971) and Kate­manivli (9,647 in 1971) have had a much more spectacular growth during the last decade. Rayon and chemical industries are located here along the banks of the Ulhas, above a small weir, making full use of the water available in the river throughout the year. Ulhas­nagar, a refugee township of Sindhis that came into existence soon after the Partition of India in 1947, has grown into a large city with a population of 1,68,462 and is a hub of activity with considerable retailing and small-scale industrial functions. Ambarnath (population 56,276 in 1971), also a place of historic antiquities and old monuments and a temple, is at present the industrial out-post of the Bombay City, with chemicals and matches as its main out-put. Badlapur, just beyond Ambarnath, is yet to receive the urban impact although there are signs in this direction already. It has a waterworks on the Ulhas that supplies drinking water to Ambarnath, Ulhasnagar and Kalyan.
Away from the railway, beyond the commuter-residential-cum­industrial zone is a narrow strip of market gardening and dairy farmers, whose supplies enter the Bombay markets daily, through the suburban train service. Further inland are the rice farming Kunbi villages, closely spaced and of fair size, with limited hamlet formation. To the north of the Ulhas river, Bhiwandi dominates the rice farming lowlands as a major rice collection and milling centre. Bhiwandi (population 79,576 in 1971) is admirably located commanding the road emerging from Bombay and Thane through the Kasheli bridge, and roads leading to Kasara, and Igatpuri along the Bhatsai valley, and to Vada through a gap across the Thane valley. Over decades, it is known for its cottage industries : tile-making and hand-loom sari weaving. The addition of some industrial units manufacturing agricultural and textile machinery parts has added to its importance. It is also a taluka town and a small educational centre. Bhiwandi is famous for the weaving industry.
General summary : No other district of Maharashtra presents such a vividly and rapidly changing physical and cultural landscape as the district of Thane does. While the northern, interior Thane resembles both in the physical landscape and the socio-cultural economy the rest of Konkan, the coastal and southern parts lying in the vicinity of Metropolitan Bombay and the transport corridor reveal all characteristics of the urban transformation that the area is under­going rapidly. With the rest of Konkan, the district shares many features of land use and cropping pattern in common the predominance of rice in the lowlands, the raising of nagli, vari and pulses on the varkas uplands, and some importance given to fruit culture. But the wider use of well irrigation, heavier use of fertilisers and the proximity to Bombay has superposed on the basic agrarian economy a market gardening frame, that raises the average income of the lowland farmer in Thane substantially higher than that of his counterpart elsewhere in Konkan. Again, the immense demand for hay and fodder in Bombay’s dairy farms has introduced a significant variation in the farm culture of coastal Thane in that along the rail road there has developed a prosperous hay and fodder culture.
The rail and road net-work, industries and commuting have combined to produce in the Ulhas lowlands and the coastal strip a thriving middle class society, mostly service-seeking with a fairly high per-capita income. In sharp contrast are the uplanders, entirely rural living in separate hamlets, in a state of economic stagnation, dependent on a precarious single season farming and forest gathering. Without even an assured supply of drinking water throughout the year, not to speak of basic civic and social amenities like medical and schooling facilities, these people, mostly tribal, live in a world of their own. Deforestation and stripping of the soil cover by heavy rains on the one hand, and restrictions on encroachment in forest areas on the other, apart from a rigorous check on shifting cultivation and illegal poaching in the forest interior have unsettled many of these people.
Regional disparities within the district are enormous and the differences imposed by physical relief have only been further enhanced by uneven levels of development opportunities. Obviously the problems of the different parts of the district are also different.
The section on Geography is contributed by Prof. Arunacbalam, Depart­ment of Geography, University of Mumbai, Mumbai.

Local Self Government
LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT IN THE DISTRICT is conducted by various statutory bodies enjoying local autonomy in different degrees. The progress of these institutions could be marked in three spheres. First, in regard to their constitution, from fully or partly nominated bodies they have now become entirely elective. Secondly, their franchise, which had gone on widening, has, with the enactment of the Bombay Local Authorities Adult Franchise and Removal of Reservation of Seats Act (XVII of 1950), reached the widest limit possible, viz., universal adult franchise. Every person who (a) is a citizen of India, (b) has attained the age of 21 years, and (c) has the requisite residence, business premises or taxation qualification, is now entitled to be enrolled as a voter. Prior to 1950 reservation of seats for women, Muhammedans, Christians, Anglo-Indians. Harijans and Backward Tribes, had been provided in Municipalities and District Local Boards, and for women, Muhammedans, Harijans and Backward Tribes in village panchayats. Muhammedans were also provided separate electorates in local boards and Municipalities before 1947. The enactment mentioned above abolished the reservation of seats for Muhammedans, Christians and Anglo-Indians but continued it for ten years from the commencement of the Constitution of India (i.e., till 26th January 1960) for women, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The castes and tribes, more or less, represent Harijans and Backward Tribes.
Thirdly, wider and wider powers have been gradually conferred on local bodies for the administration of areas under their charge.
Another recent reform is connected with the Controlling Authority over institutions of Local-Self Government. Before the enactment of the Bombay Commissioners of Divisions Act 1957 (VIII of 1958), the Divisional Officer who was also designated as the Director of Local Authorities of the Division used to exercise this control but since its enactment, the posts of Commissioners have been revived and Commissioners of Divisions now exercise the powers and functions which the Director of Local Authorities used to exercise in respect of the following Acts:-
(1) The Bombay Village Sanitation Act (I of 1889).
(2) The Bombay District Vaccination Act (I of 1892).
(3) The Bombay District Municipal Act, (III of 1901).
(4) The Bombay Town Planning Act (I of 1915).
(5) The Bombay Local Boards Act (VI of 1923).
(6) The Bombay Municipal Boroughs Act (XVIII of 1925).
(7) The Bombay Local Fund Audit Act (XXV of 1930).
(8) The Bombay Village Panchayats Act (VI of 1933).

TOWN PLANNING AND VALUATION department
THE MAHARASHTRA STATE HAS AN INDEPENDENT TOWN Planning and Valuation Department under the administrative control of the Urban Development and Public Health Department. The department principally deals with Town Planning and Valuation of Real Property,
Duties and Functions.
The duties and functions of this department as stipulated by Government are as under:?
Town Planning: (1) Educating municipalities regarding the advantages of town planning and preparation of development plans and town planning schemes under the Bombay Town Planning Act, 1954. (2) Advising municipalities in the selection of suitable areas for preparation of town planning schemes. (3) Giving required assistance to Municipalities in preparation of development plans and town planning schemes by way of advice as well as loan of the services of technical assistants for preparation of draft town planning schemes. (4) To perform duties of the town planning officer when so appointed by Government, to scrutinise building permission cases, to tender advice to the board of appeal and to draw up final schemes. (5) To issue certificates of tenure and title to owners of lands included in town planning schemes. (6) To advice Government on all matters regarding town and country planning including legislation. (7) To advice and prepare town development, improvement, extension and slum clearance schemes under municipal Acts. (8) To prepare development schemes or layouts of lands?(i) belonging to Government and (ii) belonging to co-operative housing societies and private bodies?with the sanction of Government. (9) To advise officers concerned in respect of village planning and preparation of layouts for model villages, etc. (10) To advise Government on housing slum clearance, regional planning and prevention of ribbon development including legislation thereabout. (11) To prepare type designs for the housing of middle and poorer classes including Harijans. (12) To scrutinise miscellaneous building permission cases and layouts received from Collectors and recommend suitable building regulations for adoption in areas concerned.
Valuation: The Consulting Surveyor to Government is the chief expert adviser of Government on this subject and his duties under this heading include: (1) Valuation of agricultural and non-agricultural lands and properties in towns and villages belonging to Government and intended for sale or lease. (2) Valuation of Government properties for purposes of rating under municipal acts. (3) Valuations for miscellaneous purposes such as cantonment leases, probate or stamp duty, etc. (4) Valuations for fixing standard rates of non-agricultural assessment and prescribing zones of values in all villages and developing localities in the vicinity of important and growing towns. (5) Valuations for fixing standard table of ground rents and land values of lands in cantonments. (6) Scrutiny of awards of compensation (as received from. Government). (7) Supplying trained technical assistants as the special land acquisition officers in important towns where the land acquisition work is of a very important and responsible nature. (8) Giving expert evidence when called upon to do so in district courts and the High Court when appeals are lodged against awards of compensation under the Land Acquisition Act. (9) Undertaking valuation work on behalf of railways and other departments of the Central Government and private bodies on payment of fees, etc., with the sanction of Government.
Other Miscellaneous Duties: (1) To advise various heads of departments of Government in selection of sites required for public purposes. (2) To see that all town planning schemes or layout schemes sanctioned by Government have been properly executed within a reasonable period or periods fixed in the schemes. (3) To advise Government as regards interpretation, amendment or addition to the Bombay Town Planning Act, or Rules thereunder.
The Department started functioning in 1914 with the Consulting Surveyor to Government as its head who was later on assisted by one assistant consulting surveyor to Government, one deputy assistant consulting surveyor to Government and two senior assistants with the requisite staff. As the activities of this department increased, these assistants had to be posted at prominent places in the State to attend to the work of town and country planning very essentially required to be undertaken in and around the towns and cities. There has been tremendous increase in the activities of this department in recent years with the consequential increase in the number of branch offices in the State. The head office of the department is at Poona and the other branch offices are at Bombay, Kolhapur, Kalyan, Nagpur, Amravati and Aurangabad. Some of the officers have been appointed to function as the land acquisition officers. There is thus a full time special land acquisition officer in Poona, one full-time land acquisition officer in Bombay and two part-time land acquisition officers in Bombay and Poona.
The statutory powers regarding planning embodied in the Bombay Town Planning Act, 1915, have been replaced by the Bombay Town Planning Act, 1954. This Act incorporated the provisions of the Bombay Town Planning Act, 1915, and in addition made it obligatory on every Local Authority (barring village panchayats) to prepare a development plan for the entire area within its jurisdiction. The development plan would aim at improvement of the existing congested gaothan portion of the town and would make proposals in respect of outlying open areas so as to guide the development on a planned basis. Development Plan proposals could be implemented by the preparation of statutory town planning schemes. In preparing Town Planning schemes, the planner ignores to a great extent, existing plot boundaries. In designing his layout, existing holdings are reconstituted and made subservient to the plan, and building plots of good shape and frontage are allotted to owners of lands ill-shaped for building purposes and without access. The cost of a scheme is recovered from the owner benefited, to the extent of 50 per cent, of the increase in the value of the land estimated to accrue by the carrying out of the works contemplated in the scheme. When a draft town planning scheme prepared by a local authority in consultation with the owners is sanctioned, the town planning officer is appointed. His duties among others are to hear each owner individually, consider his objections or proposals and make suitable adjustments or amendments in the draft scheme proposals, if found necessary.
Most of the local authorities have no technical staff of their own to prepare development plans and it has been decided that this department should prepare development plans on behalf of Local Authorities under the provisions of the Bombay Town Planning Act, 1954. Accordingly the scheme for preparation of Development Plans was provided in the Second Five-Year Plan and additional staff was sanctioned for the purpose.
There is no branch office of this department in Kolaba district and so the work from this district is being dealt with generally by the Bombay and Kolhapur branch offices of this department. The towns of Panvel and Mahad from the Kolaba district were selected for preparation of development plans under the provisions of Bombay Town Planning Act, 1954 and they were prepared in the Bombay branch office and the Kolhapur branch office of this department respectively. There is one Town Planning Scheme at Panvel, viz., Town Planning Scheme, Panvel No. I, which is in draft stage. The same is on hand with the Assistant Consulting Surveyor to Government, Bombay, acting as an Arbitrator.

——————————————————————————–

I look out beyond my desk, not less than fifty times a day, everytime I am bogged down by an irritant who comes to me for the want of everything that I can’t give him. Beyond my desk, not more than a couple of feet away is a window an opening, a puncture in the wall that gives me an opportunity to look beyond the confines of the people around me and initiative a new hope to survive. Survive in this maddening world and from all those who make it maddening (for me). When I look out of the window, every time, every day, it is a new picture. A new picture, a new scene and a new story.

Fat in the background are a few people, never the same, always afoot in different paces, walking and running from now end of my perspective to other. These people moving on a street seem to me like a world of derelicts in random motion gathering means to carry on, persist and drag life at their ends much like those tiny ants dragging grains over their heads.

To such a scene, that is always thought provoking. I have as an interesting backdrop to my perspective, the background of an outstanding skyline that induces into my mind the concept of a hybrid metropolis. A Roman Catholic Church with an admirable Architecture that is still down to earth and quite friendly with the people who move next to it everyday, without caring a bit. Occupying the central part of the frame of my perspective there are a couple of early twentieth century works in Architecture, which are in a badly, maintained state yet so beautiful that I seldom stop looking at them. Foremost is a building, one whose original form was ought to be different from what it is today, with an amazing variety of signboards, painted and glowing from a Hindu hotel to a general stores. What guides my perspective to the right is a late 20s

Architectural work, but you can hardly say so with so many additions and modifications and a multinational corporation working in it that cares a little about its identity. On the left is a very interesting building that diminishes my perspective a little left to the tower of church, that rises above all else, silently yet significantly divulging the dominant status enjoyed by our religious and displaying the association of power with religions. Though tall and imperative, the church tower fails to retain my sight over it an ultimately the built form that diminished on to the left attracts much more attention than any other site. This building is a typical of those hundreds in out metropolis, declared by the municipal corporation as “dangerous structures”, yet housing at least a fifty odd people into what could be a very worse stating of living. “Worst” for those like me and you, for whom life is not as hard as it is for those hundreds of thousands who live on the streets, next to the railway tracks, over the rocky shore and into open unused drainage pipes lying everywhere in the city.
Mumbai, Bombay, Bambai or whatever it may be, the place is forever a “Metropolis in transition”. A city that grows everyday, where life never remains the same, moment after moment changing to a new state. Mumbai is not just a city, but a phenomenon !

The street that I see from my window with all kinds of people traversing up and down is much like any other street across the city. Forever changing always in motion, in an indefinite transition just as if a motion picture is projected over the screen of my window. When I look at this street, I see it as a series of continuos process. I see it not just as a street that is a corridor for people to necessary transcend, but as a live system that in itself is complex integration of hundreds of complicated systems put together.

Every time I see a man, I remember the lessons that I had learnt early on in my biology classes. I remember all those systems of respirations circulation, digestion and so on, altogether embodied into human being. Each human being is like an integration of several systems working in close co-ordination to each other and consequently generating human systems together as a part of the society create another integrated set of systems that are interdependent in a large way. Imagine a hundred men waking over a street at any particular time, together making a hundred integrated systems endlessly working together, thus making the street a carrier of lives. All this really makes the street a very lively space in itself, a space that is alive and that allows several other lives to budget through it.

A street is not just a channel, but a stream that flows through the channel an as it flows though the channel and as it flows characters change. So does the street, Colaba causeway today shall never be the causeway of tomorrow D.N.Road of a day before it. S.V.road changes every hour as traffic conditions change. The street that I see everyday from my window similarly changes very moment as I see a man walking next to the church who takes hardly a minute to go out of my sight.

People are a part of streets and in fact people make streets what they are My window is a kind of kaleidoscope, that gives me the images of our city. Whenever I look out, I see Mumbai. Most happening most lively and most unique. The opening in my wall helps me carry my imagination out of the suffocating enclosed air-conditioned space adulterated by the presence of unwanted visitors and their unwanted idea.

Outside in the open environment though filled with a lot of pollutation these days, lies a spectrum of vivid cultures represented by diverse sects of the society. Sometimes it is the young director of the MNC stepping down of a shinning new Benz, where at the opposite end is an edged porter carrying a ton over his head, perspiring in the scorching heat, helpless and disgusted.
The street remains busy with business all though the day and sometimes when I stay up a little late to finish with my work, I see the same street turning into an altogether different place, where people flock from everywhere to enjoy some of the most exclusive meat preparations preclusive raw flesh available in the city. Splash contrasts, contradictions, diversities and extreme polarities are all characters of our city, yet bound together by a rich cultural heritage and the exquisite traditions of a legacy that any other city of this size in the world lacks.
Our city is a city of paradoxes and is that makes the city so special as it is ! From slums to skyscrapers, from bicycles to BMWs, wada-pav to McDonalds, Mumbai is a home for everyone. Be he a beggar or be he a business tycoon, Mumbai is life for a ten million ! It is that dream destination in the heart of every Indian child. Which gets him here and which also gets him to what makes a millionaire! Every aspect of Mumbai, the contractions and the polarities, all of them all through my window. I see them every time that a man or a woman comes to me. My work is to better the lives of people live, the way people live, the way people work and the way people enjoy. I work on Architecture and Architecture is about people! People who comes to me say the want to make a building, build a house, construct a factory of renovate an office. They rarely know what I am supposed do ask me to keep on doing everything that I’m not supposed to! They are ignorant and this irritates me!

I continue to look out of the window beyond my desi and by the end of the day I land up being in an living out. This absurdity, the antilogy between ideologies and realities, the difference between Utopia and Myopia is what bogs me down. It disturbs me, but in vain, because there is hardly anyone to whom I could complain and that too the objection about how the world is and is to blamed. The frustration is similar to that of many other men, who have so many things to condemn, yet the can’t and don’t since people always feel that they shall be unheard.

Mumbai which is a happening in itself, is mad so by the lives of the millions who live in it, millions of frustrated lives living with high hopes, dreams and fantasies and am aspirations for a better tomorrow amidst a world of inefficient systems, improper organisations and inadequate resources. Be it Dharavi, Asia’s largest scatter settlement or be it downtown Cuffe Parade, we always lack that what makes a perfect scene. All our systems, our resources and our organisations are examples of imperfection – the very essence of our being. Yet amongst such miserable conditions, time never suspends the cycle of days & nights and with everyday that passes away, arrives the dawn of a new day as a fresh new start, a rebirth and with the hope of a new prospect and the probabilities of a better being. And it is this makes us live with all the obnoxious pressures that make life unbearable, the hope of a renaissance and the revival of predicaments. I see this hope in the glimmering eyes of every man and woman moving on the street in front of me and in sanguine eyes of all the people hanging in and over the trains, rushing across streets, clocking over bus-stops and waiting fro an opportunity, one for betterment, and in the hope of an ascent.
This is an anecdote that illustrates a play, a performance, where the stage is Mumbai and there are ten million people performing to the best of what they can.

The street that I see through my window and every other street across the city join up top from of network, a network of systems ceaselessly working imperfect inefficient and chaotic ! yest in this chaos a “Virgin chaos”, lies a beauty, an imperfect elegance that needs to be discovered. We need to explore the exquisite essence of our city and unveil the splendor that is hidden beneath our systematic and scientific way of living. We need to look beyond our systematic and scientific way of living. We need to look beyond our perceptions of a city as an assembly of places to live and work in, extending our vision to understand that the city is life in itself.

Mumbai with all its imperfection, diversities and polarities is one of the finest cities that I have ever witnessed and it is this, city as life itself that makes me live it ‘I love Mumbai not just for its variant and splendid Architecture and the character of the city as a moneymaking resource, but because I have discovered in it a life and a phenomenon.

By Chandrashekhar

Most of us we know Mumbai during and after formation of D.P. Ar. Chandrashekhar has tried to enlight “Amchi Mumbai” before D.P. Its very interesting to know the growth of Mumbai prior to D.P.

Historic evidence tells us that early resident of Mumbai caught his quota of fish and shared it with his fellow citizen who was a farmer even before Jesus Christ walked upon this earth. Historians however consider this past not so amusing and hence let it pass.

Common knowledge therefore is that it was once a congregation of seven tiny islands mostly lived in by fishermen and farmers. In the year 1400 it was conquered by the King of Thane ( a throne now unheard of ) soon to have passed in the hands of another ruler. The Mahim Fort, of which few traces are left now, was the ruling seat of these rulers. Considerations of these rulers like their countrymen were different so were their concepts of exploitation. Mumbai therefore continued to grow at snails pace the way any under developed island would grow.

Vaso-da-gama, the Portuguese traveller set his foot at Kalikat in 1453 in a bid to discover New Land. Portuguese rulers slowly explored India and came to acquire a foothold in Mumbai by 1600. Their feellow invaders, the British by that time had started settling in Calcutta and Surat. The way rulers married in those days. Prince Charles of Britain married Princess Chatherine of Portugal in 1661. Mumbai was given to Prince charles as a mariage gift and he became the new owner of Mumbai. Mumbai however coninued to exist the way it did. Fishermen caught their daily quota of fish and farmers tilled in their not so fertile land.

East India Company ; the older version of today’s multinational companies, with designs akin to today’s World Trade Oganisation, was first to notice the hidden potentials Mumbai had in the form of a ntural harbour Company obtained a lease of Mumbai from the British King in 1668 and soon becamse their gateway to prosperity. Their trade now became more efficient. It also started development of Mumbai as a naval base. A port was esablished and a fort was constructed. Trade incentive and security attracted people from the mainland. By 1720, the population of Mumbai rose to 16000.

By the beginning of 19th Century, the English became a major political power. This gave boost to trade an influx of population. A new town i.e. (B&C Wards) came up beyond Bazaar Gate. Fort area was provided with broad roads and beautiful buildings. There was rapid construction of houses, warehouses, shops and markets The Sion Cause way was constructed in 1803. In 1853, the G.I.P. Railway started train service from Mumbai to Thane. Noting that Mumbai’s climate was suited for textile mills, the first cotton mill was established in 1854, which marked the beginning of an industrial era in the history of Mumbai. In 1860, the Bhor Ghat was opened to traffic. The Suez Canal was opened for navigation in 1869. This completely revolutionised the trade activity as it reduced the distance of Mumbai from England by almost half. British rule give full freedom for uninterrupted trade between Mumbai and the mainland. This resulted into rapid growth of commerce and industrialisation.

By the end of the 19th Century, may civic service were provided. This included water supply from Vihar Lake (1860), Tulsi (1881), Tansa (1892) complte drainage system for A to E Wards, reclamation of tidal flats, health services, cemeteries, educational institutions, street lights, markets etc. The mill industry expanded to 83 mills.

The B.M.C. Act was enacted in 1888 giving rise to Local Self Governmetn. This was the first attempt to regulate the functioning of the City in a planned manner.

After ‘the plague of 1896’, quarter of the population deserted Mumbai. The city faced commercial extinction. In order to improve hygienic conditions BMC was compelled to provide proper drainage, clean water and planned reclamation.

Towards this Mumbai City Improvement Trust was established in 1898. This was the first attempt to undo the evils of unplanned development in the City.

From the beginning of the 20th Century, the City saw many measures to fight the ills of unchecked migration and allow developmetn in a planned manner.

i. theMumbai Town Planning Act was enacted in 1915. Under the obligatory provisions of this Act, various Town Planning schemes were framed by the B.M.C. for the city and local Municipal Councils from Bandra to Borivali and Ghatkopar.

ii. The Mumbai Development Department was estalished in 1920.

iii. The Bombay Developmetn Department (BDD) undertook massive housign schemes in the City what is now known as BDD Chawls and also reclamation at Backbay.

iv. After independence there was heavy influx to the city. The network of roads and other infrastructural facilities considerably helped the growth of industries, business and trade. The Mumbai Housing Board was established in 949 mainly to provide cheap housing to industrial workers.

v. First major effort of urban planning was the Modak Meyor Master Plan of 1948. Mumbai’s overall growth was the ultimate aim.

vi. As the city became too congested, the limited of the city were first extended in 1950 to cover the area of suburbs i.e. H&K Wards in Western Suburbs and L, M, N Wards in the Eastersn Suburbs. Later on in 1957 the extended suburbs consisting of P&R Wards in the West and T Ward in the East added.

vii. In 1954, a compulsory legislation was passed empowering M.C.G.B.N. to undertake slum clearance in Bombay.

viii. The Mumbai Town Planning Act of 1954 replaced the earlier Act of 1915. The New Act made it obligatory for local authorities to prepare the Development Plans for the areas administered by them within the stipulated period in addition to the preparation of the Town Planning Schemes.

ix. The Mumbai Town Planning Act, 1954 was replaced by a modified Act named Maharashtra Regional & Town Planning Act, 1966, which covered the enactment’s keeping in view the regional aspects of its development ad growth.

x. This paved way to the First Development Plan of 1964.

Courtesy PEATA

Constituted in 1970, with a paid up capital of Rs. 39.5 million, today city & industrial Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd (CIDCO) is a premier town planning and development agency of India.
Here are a few excerpts the former Chairman, Mr. R.C. Sinha, as to how CIDCO had visualized Navi Mumbai as an alternate to Mumbai. “The up & downs. The changing trends of the market value for residential & commercial complexes. Consideration for NRI’s investment. Amenities facilities for residents. Roads and transport, school, colleges, Hospitals. Here was a new city being born and industries CIDCO can proudly claim Navi Mumbai to be its baby….”

Navi Mumbai is in fact, Asia’s largest new city built on completely undeveloped land. The new city is being developed as an independent, self-sustainable, self-contained city to act as a counter magnet to relieve pressure on Greater Mumbai. It has been rightly called the Mumbai of the 21st century.

CIDCO’s Strength & Expertise
Over 2 and a half decades, CIDCO has demonstrably become a premier planning and development agency, having built-up considerable in-house strengths and expertise in all areas related to new town and city development projects.
CIDCO has built up an excellent and dedicated team of highly experienced specialists in Architecture and Town planning, Transport & Communications, Engineering, Land Survey & Development, Economics & Statistics, Marketing, Finance & Accounts, Personnel &Administration, Public Health, Town Services, Social Welfare & Community Development, Rehabilitation & other related fields.

The future of Navi Mumbai

As the dust settles to the frenzied speculation of the mid 90’s, it appears that those who ad entered the market in Navi Mumbai then, especially investors, lost considerably. But then, investors were never really part of CIDCO’s original plans. Speculators had driven prices out of reach for actual users, for whom Navi Mumbai was really meant. To investment seeking NRIs, this may sound disturbing.
Facilities-wise it is certainly better than Mumbai. A sampler :
1.Civic Amenities 21% of Navi Mumbai is covered by road (as opposed to only 8% in Mumbai). In fact 58% of Navi Mumbai is non-buildable. Parks, playgrounds and trees (almost 2 mn planted!) occupy a large tract of space.
2.Primary & Secondary Education : Over 200 Schools, each of which must compulsorily have a playground at least equivalent to the size of the building. (for which CIDCO charges only Re. 1/- p.a.) – compare this with Mumbai’s crowded schools.
3.Higher Education : 3 Medical, 5 Engineering, 2 Architectural, 2 Management and 1 Pharmacy College with a total of 51, all of which are affiliated to Mumbai University.
4.Recreational : 2 Cinema houses with a Multiplex, Entertainment Centre, planned, Community Centres, Navi Mumbai Sports Association, Merchants Gymkhana etc.,
5.Medical : Almost 2,500 hospital beds and plans for a mega hospital.
6.180 acre International Infotech Park (IIP) is now in the market. 8 lakh sq.ft. of which are to be housed above Vashi Railway Station which will include 2 lakh sq.ft. of shopping /recreational space.
7.International Exhibition Centre on 450 acres to promote exports.
8.Domestic Airport at New Panvel.
9.Seaside Golf Course. Water sports, Bowling Alleys etc.
10.Transharbour link between Colaba-Uran, Sewri-Nhava and a road bridge between Mulund-Airoli under construction.
11.Booking are now open for the 2nd phase of 594 flats at Seawoods.
12.Business school to be set up in collaboration with the Harvard Business School and the Wharton School of Management on 100 acres. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the Delhi Public School are also setting up a brand here.
13.State of the art hospital and a medical complex with built-in facilities to attract private practitioners.
At the time CIDCO was formed there was no bridge across the Thane Creek nor local railways extending to Navi Mumbai, both of which are now in place. However, transport facilities between the two still leave a lot to be desired. To address this bottlenecked bridges and overpasses are planed from Sion to New Panvel in such manner so that there will be no traffic signals in between. Nahur – Airoli Bridge connection have given a boost to traffic easment.

Wholesale Markets
One of main aims of setting up Navi Mumbai was to de-congest Mumbai’s Wholesale Vegetable, Fruits and a Commodity Markets were located at the Southern tip of Mumbai which meant that goods arrived from all over into the heart of the city, the majority being redistributed back along exactly the same route in which they came, a South Mumbai barely required 5% of the goods transported to it. Today, other than the steel market, (SAIL, the major players, has however shifted its depot to Navi Mumbai) all wholesale markets have moved and provide employment to approx 50,000 people (’95 census figures). Another 50,000 are employed by the Thane-Belapur Industrial Belt. JNPT (3-4000) private builders, approx 2.00 lacs.
Occupancy in the business district of CBD (15-20%) is low but “Rome wasn’t built in a day” to quote Mr. Sinha. 7 years ago Vashi was only 40% occupied, today it is almost 100%. Statistically, occupancy levels at other centres are : Nerul 80%, Airoli 70%, New Panvel 90%, Khargarh, Ulve and Dronanagri are under different stages of development.
To a large extent however, Navi Mumbai has become more of an extended suburb of Mumbai rater than its competitor which may be one reason for low occupancy levels in the CBD. As compared to the extended Western Suburbs of Mira Road and Vasai, Navi Mumbai is much closer to South Mumbai and with the expected improvement in transport facilities, this is a fact unlikely to change.
It becomes important at this stage to state clearly that CIDCO was not averse to NRIs but to the speculation that a sudden demand may cause. In-fact, the Seawoods Estate, was especially meant for NRIs. However , to curb speculation, no NRI was permitted to buy more than one unit, even though at one stage, some were willing to buy entire buildings !. Today, many have been left with highly priced properties, the price of which have not increased as speculators anticipated .
After the CRZ Notification came into effect in February 1991, CIDCO undertook a study to analyse its effect. Based on this, CIDCO took the view that development of Navi Mumbai came under the classification of CRZ II (which covered urban areas that were already substantially built up) and allotted plots for further construction.
The municipality however, took the view that the area on the landward side of existing roads / structures fell under CRZ VII and stalled further construction This has yet to be sorted out. Yes, speculators will not come back to Navi Mumbai in hurry, but as occupancy levels rise, prices may recover. The price have certainly gone very high, but still within reach of a economic budget. The rates are ranging between Rs.3000/- psf to 6500/- psf in different zones.
In its latest bid to invite applications for plot sCIDCO is all set to inflate real estate rates in Navi Mumbai. ale at Sanpada, and Nerul, the city makers have reserved the per sq.ft. price at Rs. 2000/- (approx.).
In sector 42A and 14 the corporation is giving 1.5 FSI with a whooping rate of Rs. 19200.00 per sq.mtr. In sector 6 and 25 it is offering at Rs. 15000/- and Rs. 12000/- a sq.mtr respectively.
At present, builders are selling ready flats ranging between Rs. 2800 to Rs. 6300/- per sq.ft. At Nerul, quite recently, the flats were available for Rs. 4400/- to 5300/- per sq.ft. At Palm Beach Marg, Sagar Darshan was sold for Rs. 1800/- three year back, now it is sold for 6500/- psf. NRI complex was sold for Rs. 2200/- a sq.ft. Investors were selling 35% per cent less than that, now there is no room for occupation. Reliance group have purchased all the vacant flats in the complex.

Heavy Transfer fee has been imposed by the corporation for individual selling transaction. Each time a flat is sold, the corporation gains, its official transfer fee along with unofficial mental harassment. Just like Nariman Point, where collectors due to the tune of Rs. 1500/- a sq.ft. for a transfer. Navi Mumbai also wants its undue advantage.
The leasehold land and its FSI at a cost of Rs. 2000/- a sq.ft. will certainly be in the market for Rs. 4000/- psf and above in next two to three years.
At Dronagiri Node, where SEZ is coming up, the land cost have gone beyond common man’s reach. At Mahape and Airoli where 12% ownership schemes were allowed, the rates are still lowest in the region. Ghansoli and Kalamboli areas are still lowest in the region while Palm Beach Road, Nerul and CBD Belapur is having highest prices.

Navi Mumbai – The New IT Destination
Navi Mumbai, strategically located on the proposed Mumbai Pune “Knowledge Corridor” has been receiving a lot of thrust with respect to Information Technology. The Government of Maharashtra has plans drawn up to develop Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune as high habitations for IT industry.
Some of the corporate who have taken office premises at Navi Mumbai Infotech Park are : 1) Hughes Telecom 2) ICICI Infotech Services Ltd. 3) ITTI Ltd 4) MTNL 5) Patni Computer Systems Ltd., 6) Philips India Ltd., 7) Satyam Infoway STPI 9) Times of India 10) VSNL 11) Way INDIA 12) BSEL Information Systems Ltd., 13) Micro Technologies (I) Ltd., 14) UMC Software 15) Wipro Ltd. 16) Tracmail (India) Ltd., 17) EDTC (India) Ltd.

SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE – DRONAGIRI
Dronagiri SEZ in Navi Mumbai is near Jawaharlal Nehru Port with allocated Area 3990 hectares. CIDCO which has developed the whole Navi Mumbai township including the Dronagiri Node is the Nodal Agency appointed by Government Of Maharashtra for developing Dronagiri SEZ. Reliance SEZ is also coming up in the region with approximately 5000 Ha.

INDIA’S MOST MODERN PORT & PORT TOWNSHIP
Navi Mumbai has its own port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, the most modern fully mechanised port in India. The new 2500 hectare Dronagiri Node is under development as a dedicated port Township and will house 3.5 lakh people and general 1 Lakh jobs.

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES:
Navi Mumbai is providing generous portions of land for public & Private residential schools and colleges, has easily accessible prime locations for leading national & international educational institutions to start operations in Navi Mumbai. Over 51 colleges and 200 primary and secondary schools are already operative in Navi Mumbai.

A CLEAN & GREEN ENVIRONMENT:
Navi Mumbai has been designed to provide standard healthy urban living no longer available in most Metros in the country.

As much as 58% of the land in Navi Mumbai has been reserved as open areas parks, gardens, forests, no development zones. Jobs and residential areas have been evenly distributed to avoid congestion, unhygienic conditions and slums.
Total underground drainage, piped water supply, sewage treatment facilities, modern methods of garbage collection and disposal, and other environment friendly measures are an integral part of its planned development of an efficient civic infrastructure in the modern metropolis.

AIR LINK
Navi Mumbai will be directly connected to other ports of the country through its own ultra modern airport. The same will be located on the periphery of CBD.

GENERAL & SUPER SPECIALITY HOSPITALS:
Several well-equipped general Hospital, Nursing homes, clinics and health care centres with over 2200 beds have already been established in Navi Mumbai by reputed institutions and trusts. Atleast two supper speciality hospitals are expected to be operational soon.