Contrastin Urban Environments: Mumbai Flashcards
Where is Mumbai?
On the West coast of India by the Arabian Sea, in the Maharashtra region, of which it is the capital
What are the area and population of Mumbai?
4355km2
12.442 million
How far is Mumbai from the capital city?
1000km from New Delhi
By how much has Mumbai grown relatively since 1950?
From the 19th largest city globally (1950) to the 2nd largest (2010)
What is the climate of Mumbai like?
Tropical (25-30 degrees)
Rainy Summer season
Dry October-April
What is the relief of Mumbai like?
Very flat
Only Sanjay Ghandi Park and Chembur East significantly above sea level
What is Mumbai’s GDP?
US$368bn
What is the GDP of India as a whole and, more importantly, what fraction of this did Mumbai contribute?
US$2.112tn
17%
How do the earnings of the top 10% in Mumbai compare to those of the bottom 10%?
370 times more earned by the rich
37,000%
How much of the city’s wealth is held by the top 10%? How much by the top 1%?
75%
50%
What proportion of Mumbai’s population live in slums?
45%
Which part of the city holds the largest percentage of slum dwellers?
The East, primarily the South East
How many public toilets in poor areas of Mumbai have access to water?
14%
How many households in the poor regions of the city have access to piped water? What is the average?
Poor: 1/6
Citywide: 50.7%
What is the major issue with healthcare in Mumbai?
Hospitals and healthcare centres are unevenly distributed
Traffic congestion means accessing these centres is difficult
Hospitals far from slums
How many vehicles are driven on average in Mumbai?
4 million
What issue do residents of the Northern suburbs face?
Burning of waste in the municipal garbage dump producing 10 times the WHO safe limit of particulate air pollution
What are the water pollution issues in Mumbai?
Standing water Toilets feed directly into rivers Landfill sites found on/next to waterways Funeral pyres swept into river Industrial sludge disposed of in rivers
What has water pollution meant for slum dwellers in Mumbai?
Dirty water spreads cholera and dysentery easily
Standing water provides breeding ground for mosquitoes
Why is dereliction not a major issue in Mumbai?
The large number of illegal squatters means that abandoned buildings are quickly claimed
What is an issue with dereliction?
Abandoned buildings occupied by squatters may be unstable or unsafe
What was the major challenge of Mumbai’s physical environment?
It originally consisted of 7 islands, which have since been joined by reclaiming land from the sea
What has Mumbai’s foundation meant for it’s citizens?
They are at high risk from flooding, particularly the squatters who live in unsafe land near rivers and coast
In what 3 ways have Mumbai authorities attempted to combat water pollution?
Closing down practices which are illegally dumping waste
Establish an official waste collection system
Hire unemployed citizens to clean and maintain the rivers
How else could Mumbai’s water be improved?
Building sewers and treatment plants
Building public toilets
Setting up rubbish collection systems
Dredging the river
What has been done to combat air pollution in Mumbai?
20km electric monorail Encouraging bicycle use Increasing chimney heights and adding filters Building offshore wind farms Fitting green rooves Building more high rise buildings
List the benefits of the Monorail
Accommodates 19,000 passengers daily
Reduces emissions and traffic congestion
Does not burn fossil fuel
Operates quietly
What is India doing which will improve Mumbai’s environment?
Encourage solar power use by lowering the tariffs
Investing in battery technology
What makes Mumbai a cultural hub?
All major world religions are practiced
Many languages are spoken, including some unique to Mumbai
Global festivals are celebrated
Home of Bollywood film industry
How is Mumbai perceived by developed nations?
Dirty and undesirable, full of slums
How is Mumbai perceived by Indians?
Good place to work
Affluent industrial centre
