Scraps Stuffs - Random musings from apun ka desh

Back from a week's vacation in Mumbai. Good to be back to a cooler and much drier city. Since I had visited Mumbai after almost two years I wanted to revisit my impressions about that city.

Impressions

1. Mumbai is a very big slum. I read an article in Mid-Day that claimed that 60% of Mumbaikars like in slums. A very believable statistic.

2. Auto and taxi drivers in Mumbai almost never try to cheat you, in stark contrast to Bangalore. I have taken rides in autos and taxis at close to midnight and also early in the mornings - they go strictly by the meter (there is another authorized rate for times between 11pm and 5 am).

3. Mumbai is very overcrowded. There are supposed to be approximately three hundred families that pour into the island every day and the city simply cannot support its current population which is in the vicinity of 18 million people! There are plans to encourage expansion into the mainland by building a 22 kms. long bridge over the sea from somewhere near Sewri.

4. The Mumbai transport system is a very good people mover. The railways (Western Railway line, Central Railway Main line and the Central Railway Harbour line) together carry about 6 million people everyday! Close to the entire population of a wannabe (but can never be) city like Bangalore!! The BEST bus transport close to about 4 million people everyday. But the system is creaking under the weight of sheer numbers and an extensive metro system is desperately neded.

5. I managed to get dinner (Pav Bhaji) at 11.00 pm! And this was at a regular place, not a 24 hour five star coffee shop. Felt safe walking the streets even at midnight, truly Mumbai never sleeps.