Mumbai

One of the most incredible cities in the world is Mumbai. Any visitor to the city will undoubtedly have both happy and negative memories of their time there. No other destination in the world can compare to the experience you can have in Mumbai. Mumbai is accommodating and warmly welcomes everyone. A visitor doesn't need much time to feel the city's warmth and grandeur. Mumbai is a great city, whether you're interested in local transportation, fashion, or the national park. Nariman Point, one of the districts of Mumbai, is the subject of this article. It combines the atrocities experienced by Nariman Point with the Norberg Hodge counter-development philosophy. It further explores in totality Schapiro’s dream and the works of James Prosek.

Background Information; Nariman Point

Nariman Point is in a small peninsula, which is bordered by the Arabian Sea on its three sides. Nariman’s southern point acts like a cape, and it protrudes into the sea. Land reclamation has been the norm in the area hence leading to the construction of many buildings. During the 1970s, people realised there was not enough land to build houses, and they opted to reclaim land from the sea. Currently, Nariman Point has a lot of tall buildings and it is considered one of the central business districts of Mumbai. It hosts the richest people in the city and unsurprisingly, it hosts the national stock exchange.

According to the census conducted by Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority in 2011, there are 3,145,966 people living today in Nariman Point. Nariman Point covers about 26.1 square miles as a whole. These statistics mean the area is densely populated, hence the high cost of living. Increase in population has led to many houses being built to accommodate these people. The streets have trees which have grown naturally over the years, but they do not make Mumbai be a green city. There is a scarcity of parks and open space in Nariman, especially around my residence. The sandy beaches, such as the Girgaun Chowpatty compliments the magical appearance of the Nariman Point (Appadurai 633). This place has the most amazing scene of ‘Queen’s Necklace’ along the Marine Drive, where people love having leisure walks or spending time with friends during the night. Marine Drive is the place everyone is fond of in the city, even some couples go ahead and propose to their fiancé. Since my tender age, I have always visited the beach to engage in swimming and workouts.

People in Nariman Point are multi-racial and some people have lived there for generations while others have immigrated to the region. The society is diverse such that it accommodates both the wealthiest billionaires and the poor people in one place. The region is also the headquarters to several multinational companies hence people from around the world flock into this area in large numbers to look for opportunities. The good thing about Mumbai is that all people coexist amongst each other peacefully and in harmony. A multi-million dollar apartment can face a group of shanty houses.

In the past, the city was the primary place for many textile industries, but during the 1960s they closed and moved on to areas with large land for expansion where cotton was inexpensive (Appadurai 630). The redevelopment of the cotton mills led to the reshipment of the Nariman Point. The mill workers were rendered to live in shanty conditions. Consequently, they resorted to educating their children on different career paths. After the closure of the mills, the oppressed workers from the mill shifted to the construction industry (Appadurai 627). The middle class started to sprout as people came into the city. As a result, the economy became better with more land being occupied with finance offices and businesses. Foreign companies began to emerge since India’s trade policy changed. Many companies started setting up their headquarters in the city such as Tata, Reliance and Nestle due to the development achieved through the mils. This led to the transformation of Mumbai to a business hub.

As more people moved to Nariman Point, the middle class became stronger. The infrastructure developed; roads, railway and buildings. This development resulted in straining limited resources the area could offer. Tall buildings covered the land left by the mills to the brim. The people required social amenities for sustenance. However, the pollution caused by the mills was stopped. There was a need for gas, electricity, and water. The number of vehicles increased rapidly and the fuel they used polluted the environment. The amount of waste from household increased, and this led to environmental degradation. There was an urgent need to solve this menace.

Norberg-Hodge’s Principle for Counter Development

This policy focuses on reducing poverty, overpopulation and environmental degradation brought about by modernisation. It articulates the need to use reverse strategy in industrialization to solve these challenges (Norberg-Hodge et al. 5). This approach rallies for people in the urban areas to move in the rural areas and adopt clean energy sources such as solar and windmills. Moreover, it highlights the issues facing the society today such as rent-seeking, corruption, organized crime, and terrorism. The ideology was based on the Ladakh community and developed by Helena Norberg-Hodge in the book, Ancient Futures. It highlights how local communities change with the inception of modernity into their culture. This policy will be effective in combating pollution in the Nariman.

Among the myriad of adverse impacts pollution in the ci9ty has been deforestation. Land has been cleared for settlement and the construction of more factories and industries. Coincidentally, the amount of carbon dioxide and other emissions produced from the city has also increased tremendously. The exhaust fumes from cars also doubled multiple times. There was a need to clean the South Mumbai and make it greener. The Norgerg-Hodge counter development policy points out useful principles that can be utilized to curb these challenges associated with urbanization. Application of this strategy can be the reliable solution to the problems facing Nariman Point.

Utilization of Norberg-Hodge policy of counter development is crucial in eliminating the destructive trends in Nariman Point. The rapid growth of the city should be based on the values of the local society. As the people get informed of the western culture, their local customs should be respected. The policy advocates for the promotion of eco-villages (Norberg-Hodge et al. 5). This knowledge in sustaining the local environment will lead to decrease in pollution. The cars should start using clean energy such as natural gas to reduce the imminent air pollution. Also, counter development encourages the use of solar energy for electricity, water heating, cooking, and greenhouses.

Exploration of Shapiro’s Toxic Inequality

According to Shapiro’s Toxic Inequality, he highlights how wealth gap threatens the future of any society. The threats include racial divide and mobility (Shapiro 3). The book insists that the white Americans accumulate wealth three times more than the Black Americans. Shapiro offers policy recommendations on how to decrease the wealth gap. The policy requires the government to avoid the tax favors accorded to the wealthy. The wealth gap in South Mumbai can be catered using his recommendations (Shapiro 3). In Mumbai there is a disparity in income levels, some live in shanties while others in bungalows. Taxing the wealthy extensively will aid in reducing this gap.

Incorporating Dark Waters by Komunyakaa with the Issues Facing Nariman Point

Furthermore, Dark Waters by Komunyakaa, emphasizes that modern industries are polluting rivers with their toxic waste (Komunyakaa 98). In addition to this, it connects the ideology behind environmentalism and racism. Besides, he uses the poem to express critical aspects of the environment. In his piece, Komunyakaa criticizes the pollution brought by lumber mills in the poor black sections of the town. His principles can be applied at Nariman point to curb the environmental degradation that is taking place now (Komunyakaa 112). The municipal should take keen operation on the industries that are still polluting the beach since this affects all kind of individuals.

James Prosek’s Artwork Role in Inspiring the Local People

The artworks of James Prosek are useful in communicating environmental messages to the community (Prosek 4). Prosek focuses on bringing nature into art perspective. His art is perfect to illustrate the importance of biodiversity in the society today. Since Nariman Point, South Mumbai has a coastline; Prosek’s art collection of fish can be utilized to show the importance of different types of fish in our ecosystem. For instance, a painting showing a living fish, whose color disappears within moments of its death. This artwork can be put near the coastline in South Mumbai to remind the people to dispose of waste wisely.

Furthermore, the artwork of Prosek incorporates different ideas and which portray diverse aspects of life. For example, a picture of Spanish mackerel will ignite the urge to see the fish alive (Prosek 5). These paintings inspire people to have the privilege to see the fish alive. In South Mumbai’s coastline, this pictures can be erected in every sea line, to encourage the local people to avoid pollution. This avoidance will lead to an increase in aquatic life.

In conclusion, Nariman Point is a scenic view of its beautiful beaches and coastline. Recently, industries have been sprouting up, and the population has increased rapidly. The trees are cleared up to pave room for human resettlement while factories are polluting air and water sources. Despite these hurdles, the Norgerg-Hodge counter-development strategy has proven successful where it emphasizes the need to use clean energy. Other credible works of Shapiro, Prosek, and Komunyakaa, also stress the importance of using environment-friendly sources of energy. In this way, Nariman Point will become a green place as it was some few years ago.

Works Cited

Appadurai, Arjun. "Spectral housing and urban cleansing: notes on millennial Mumbai." Public Culture 12.3 (2000): 627-651.

Komunyakaa, Yusef. "Dark Waters." The Colors of Nature: Culture, Identity, and the Natural World. Ed. Alison H. Deming and Lauret E. Savoy. Minneapolis: Milkweed (2002): 98-112.

Norberg-Hodge, Helena, and Dalai Lama XIV Bstan-ʼdzin-rgya. Ancient futures: Lessons from Ladakh for a globalizing world. Sierra Club Books, 2009.

Prosek, James. Eels: An Exploration, from New Zealand to the Sargasso, of the World's Most Mysterious Fish. Harper Collins, 2010.

Shapiro, Thomas M. Toxic Inequality: How America's Wealth Gap Destroys Mobility, Deepens the Racial Divide and Threatens Our Future. Basic Books, 2017.