Challenges of Urbanisation Megacity Case Study: Mumbai

Question 1

What is the site of Mumbai?

Answer 1

It is built on seven islands, meaning there was limited space for growth outwards.

Question 2

What is Mumbai’s contribution to India’s GDP?

Answer 2

$300 billion - responsible for 25% of India’s industrial output and 70% of its maritime trade.

Question 3

What are the industries in Mumbai?

Answer 3

Textiles to petrochemicals, and serves as headquarters for many companies, including the Reserve Bank of India. The Taloja industrial area is a hub for major industries such as chemical and pharmaceutical production.
It is also to base for the Bollywood industry, releasing over 300 films in 2016.

Question 4

What is the situation of Mumbai?

Answer 4

To the west coast of India (near the Arabian Sea). It has a busy port system and large stock exchanges which simulate economic development across the country.

Question 5

How many people live in Mumbai now compared to 1991?

Answer 5

In 1991 there were 9.9 million.
Now there are 21 million.

Question 6

How fast is Mumbai’s population growing?

Answer 6

A rate of 3% a year, half due to migration and half due to natural increase.
International migration contributes to population growth, as people move to Mumbai from over the world, attracted by the range of job opportunities.

Question 7

Where do the migrants come from?

Answer 7

Nearly 70% come from rural or urban areas within the surrounding Maharashtra state, contributing to population growth. There is is a small amount of international migration of people seeking jobs.

Question 8

What are the features of the migrants in Mumbai?

Answer 8

100 people arrive there from elsewhere in India each day. Most migration is rural-urban migration. Most migrants are young people who go on to have families in the city.

Question 9

What are the pull factors of migration in Mumbai?

Answer 9

Strong economy due to FDI, Bollywood and finance. It has an important port and many manufacturing industries e.g. textiles.
Many social opportunities in the cities, such as housing with better electricity and better access to education.

Question 10

What are the push factors of migration in Mumbai?

Answer 10

Low wages
Poor healthcare
Few educational opportunities in rural areas.
Less demand for farm workers following improvements in agricultural technology.

Question 11

Where is the CBD of Mumbai located?

Answer 11

In the oldest part of Mumba; the southern tip of the peninsula the city is situated on. The headquarters of TNCs, such as Microsoft are located there, as well as Mumbai’s financial district.

Question 12

Where are Mumbai’s manufacturing facilities located?

Answer 12

They used to be located in the CBD, but were relocated as the city grew and land value increased, but the textile mills remained. Now the old buildings have been regenerated into extremely expensive flats.

Question 13

What is Mumbai’s inner city like?

Answer 13

Where workers who lived in the textile mills once lived. The area is very run down and the workers’ housing blocks are now slums. Squatter settlements, e.g. Dharavi, have grown there, typically along railway lines.

Question 14

What are Mumbai’s suburbs like?

Answer 14

They stretch along railway lines. A new suburb area called New Mumbai has been developed - it is much less congested an industries such as IT, healthcare and engineering have relocated there as land is cheaper.

Question 15

What are some of the challenges caused by Mumbai’s rapid growth?

Answer 15

Traffic congestion
Health and education problems
Housing shortages
Lack of clean water, sanitation and energy
Slums and squatter settlements
Reducing unemployment and crime

Question 16

How is traffic congestion a problem in Mumbai?

Answer 16

There are over 2 million cars in the city, causing gridlocked roads and increasing air pollution. The government is introducing a monorail to reduce the number of cars being used.

Question 17

How is health and education a problem in Mumbai?

Answer 17

Rapid population growth leads to an increased pressure on the already strained health and education services available. Despite the growth of the Sion Hospital in Dharavi, many people still have to wait a long time to be treated.
Many schools are overcrowded and there is a shortage of teachers.

Question 18

How are housing shortages a problem in Mumbai?

Answer 18

The number of migrants arriving means that there are more people needing places to live, leading to housing shortages.

Question 19

How is the provision of water, sanitation and energy a problem in Mumbai?

Answer 19

The use of standpipes is restricted to 2 hours in the morning in some regions.
There are many open sewers and polluted streams that pose a health risk. Millions of tonnes of waste are dumped into the Mithi River.
There is limited access to energy resources, with supply not meeting demands.

Question 20

How are slums and squatter settlements a problem in Mumbai?

Answer 20

Squatter settlements have grown rapidly, expanding onto private land. They are overcrowded and poorly constructed.

Question 21

How are unemployment and crime a problem in Mumbai?

Answer 21

There is a shortage of skilled engineers and technicians, and most people have informal jobs - involving poor security, poor pay and poor working conditions.