The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented stress on India’s urban public health infrastructure, underscoring the need for urban planning to account for increased demand for health amenities during crises. This paper evaluates the city of Mumbai’s 1991 and 2034 development plans and finds inherent infrastructural inadequacies. It calls on urban-policymakers to complement development plans with robust dynamic health strategies that consider technological advances and epidemiological changes. Public-private partnerships should be encouraged to overcome the challenges of funding and technology adoption in health planning.
Attribution: Sayli Udas-Mankikar, “Health Infrastructure Planning Amid COVID-19: The Case of Mumbai,”
ORF Issue Brief No. 435, January 2021, Observer Research Foundation.
Bombay high court
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court has criticised the BMC for its approach towards illegal structures in the city.
“We get the impression that you are trying to help people putting up unauthorised constructions. You don’t take our orders seriously and go out and say this court is very harsh to officers of (BMC). When our orders are not followed, what do we expect to do?” said a bench of Justices Shahrukh Kathawalla and Riyaz Chagla on Friday.
A petition was filed by the A H Wadia Trust regarding an illegal structure on its property in Kurla. In August 2020 the HC had directed that the site be inspected and appropriate action taken. The trust moved for contempt against the BMC alleging that no action was taken pursuant to the order.
Impose heavy tax on vacant land parcel: Activist to Maharashtra Government
Magda
Impose heavy property tax on vacant lands particularly needed for infrastructure projects, suggested a Mumbai-based Social Activist and Advocate of Bombay High Court Godfrey Pimenta. He has recently written a letter to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. He said, The state government should amend Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, to levy heavy property tax on vacant lands particularly needed for Infrastructure projects so as to force the owners of such vacant lands to handover lands for Infrastructure projects than paying heavy property tax on vacant lands. This is particularly in view of current controversy in case of Kanjurmarg land required for Metro depot.
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