How the present situation of Shimla will affect its growth potential in future?

Shimla is the capital city of the state of Himachal Pradesh. Being a hill city, Shimla faces urban management issues that
are different from those for the cities in plain terrain. For one, land resources—critical for urban growth—are in short
supply in Shimla. Resource efficiency, therefore, is key to ensure sustainable development of the city. The Shimla
Municipal Corporation submitted a smart city proposal that was accepted by the Ministry of Urban Development—
under the Smart Cities Mission in June 2017.

Shimla City: An Overview

Shimla is connected to the city of Kalka—a foothill town situated in the adjoining state of Haryana—by one of the
longest narrow-gauge railway in India. It is also connected by road and airline services. The city is approximately 100
km from Panchkula, the nearest major city, and 365 km from New Delhi.

Shimla’s population has been constantly growing from about 55,000 in 1971 to 186,000 in 2016. As per the 2011
Census, Shimla had a population of 169,578. Figure 1 shows the population change of Shimla city over the decades.
However, while the absolute population is growing, percent decadal change shows a declining trend. It is the only
Class-I urban centre (population over 100,000) in the state, with about 25 percent of the state’s urban population living
in the city.

Figure 1: Decadal Change in Population of Shimla

 Data Source: Ministry of Urban Development, 2013.

The city is governed by a municipal corporation and has an area of around 35.34 sq. km. The density of population is
47.98 persons per sq. km. The city is built on top of seven hill ranges and has 25 percent of land under forests and 41
natural springs that gives it a unique natural setting. The city has 82 listed heritage sites, six demarcated heritage
zones, one ASI protected monument, and a museum. The Kalka–Shimla railway line built by the British is a UNESCO
world heritage site.

Shimla’s urban development issues may not seem very different from those in other cities of the country–mobility,
congestion and land management, spatial growth and management, infrastructure, and service inadequacy.

Urban Development Situation in Shimla

Physical Location and Urban Growth

The city is spread over seven hill spurs, namely, Jakhoo Hill, Elysium Hill, Museum Hill, Prospect Hill, Observatory Hill,
Summer Hill and Potters Hill. These spurs are interconnected by roads. Thus, the development pattern in Shimla is
governed by topographical constraints such as steep slopes, elongated hilly spurs, forest areas and zones of perpetual
sunshades. About 90 percent of the city is built on unstable, 60-degree slopes, covered in four- to five-storey
structures, although construction is prohibited on slopes above 45 degrees. However, there is a need for greater
vigilance on construction activities. Extensive deforestation happened in the 1980s and 1990s, and Shimla has since
lost a lot of its green cover.
Shimla’s physiographic conditions impose many constraints on urban development and growth. These include:

 Scarcity of buildable land, leading to the construction of unsafe structures on slopes. Most of the population is
concentrated on the southern slopes, which are more amenable to construction. Shimla is still learning to
balance its natural environment with its manmade one. Being a tourist destination, many problems get
accentuated. The city is witnessing large-scale expansion.
 The spatial expansion of the urban area is along linear corridors, and several areas are completely inaccessible
through motorised transport. The movement of vehicles and people face several difficulties due to reduced
width of roads in some areas.
 The city lies in Seismic Zone IV (high-damage risk zone). Due to construction on hilly terrain and steep slopes,
Shimla is extremely vulnerable to natural hazards such as landslides, sinking of land and earthquakes. Several
areas of the city are in sinking zones. About 25 percent of the old town is in the sinking zone, and unless
improvements are made in the drainage and sewerage systems of the upper reaches, more areas will become
prone to sinking, thus endangering life and property. The reasons for sinking of land include unregulated
dumping of debris on slopes, resulting in loose soil; increasing pressure of people and buildings on slopes; and
poor drainage and sewerage systems. It is important to improve the drainage system to facilitate run-off,
especially in monsoon season, to reduce the risk of sinking.
To ensure planned and regulated growth, the Government of Himachal Pradesh constituted Shimla Planning Area (SPA)
through notification in November 1977. The SPA comprises the following:

 Shimla Municipal Corporation;

 Recently merged Special Areas of Dhalli, New Shimla, and Tutu; and
 Special Areas of Kufri, Shoghi and Ghanahatti.

The geographical spread of the SPA is roughly 100 sq. km, in which approximately 32 sq. km falls under the municipal
limit, including newly added areas of New Shimla, Dhalli and Tutu.

Infrastructure and Service Provision

Shimla faces management and planning challenges with respect to provision and maintenance of essential services
such as liquid and solid waste disposal and water supply. Shimla is an administrative node and an educational hub for
the rest of the state. Moreover, due to influx of tourists and floating population, especially during summer (which is the
peak tourist season), there is great pressure on infrastructure and services.

The city faces acute water shortage. Because of the closure of a groundwater supply scheme (GWSS), the net water
availability has further reduced. The per capita water supply is below the 135 litres per capita daily (LPCD), the
standard set by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation guidelines.

In terms of solid and liquid waste, too, the situation is critical. As a result of poor utilisation of available treatment
facility in the sewage treatment plant, only 11 percent of the total sewage is treated. The untreated water is released
into open streams and drains that cause severe damage to environment, flora and fauna. Around 80 percent of the city
is covered by door-to-door waste collection services. During peak tourist season, however, more waste is generated.
The community bins often overflow, even in the tourist areas. Waste is regularly dumped in the open drains, leading to
blockages in natural drainage channels.

Tourism

The city witnesses a large influx of domestic and foreign tourists as well as a floating population. The number of
tourists has increased from 7.14 million in 2005 to 18.45 million in 2016. The floating population, too, has increased
from around 56,000 in 2001 to around 80,000 in 2016; these people are primarily engaged in tourism and service-
provision activities.

The peak season for tourists is the summer months. Moreover, Shimla is a weekend destination for people living in
Delhi and Chandigarh. The city, however, is not equipped to deal with the rising tourist numbers. Therefore, the tourist
season puts a severe strain on the infrastructure, with respect to availability of water supply, garbage disposal and
mobility. The floating population, too, burdens the existing infrastructure and contributes to encroachments and
unauthorised constructions, which are incompatible to natural areas.

Energy Needs

The energy need of urban areas is becoming one of the most critical issues in urban management. Shimla requires
energy for heating during winter months. There is a ban on the use of wood for heating purposes. In the recent years,
focus has shifted to renewable energy. Renewable energy sources, such as hydropower, supply the total energy
demand. Two solar plants, installed under the solar city plan, currently generate 35 KWP (kilowatt peak) capacity. A
recently commissioned waste-to-energy plant is now producing 1.7 MWH (megawatt hour) of energy. There is also a
plan to convert streetlights into solar-powered lamps.

Urban Mobility

Most of the hill towns have severe mobility constraints due to a lack of land to accommodate increased traffic flow.
Shimla is no exception. Vertical mobility is more critical for the city with such variations in elevation. However,
presently, there is only one public lift for tourists and residents alike. Only 16 percent of the motorable roads have
footpaths, although 42 percent of the trips are covered on foot. The availability of public conveyance, too, is
inadequate, with only 308 buses available for public transport. The vehicular volume has grown by 23 percent, thereby
increasing the parking demand in the city. The city has only 4,311 ECS parking available, while the demand is currently
at 14,500 ECS parking. New parking lots are under development in PPP mode. Traffic congestion is very frequent in
Shimla, especially in the tourist season, when traffic comes to a standstill for several hours on the major roads.
Urban Management

Hill states have fragile ecosystems and must adopt a development path that does not disturb their ecological balance.
Shimla needs to rethink its development strategy. Critical issues such as land availability, energy, water and waste
management, mobility, and infrastructure provision need to be dealt with particular care and must be tailor-made for
Shimla through smart, urban solutions aided by smart technology, good governance and active civic participation.

The city of Shimla houses 25 percent of the state’s urban population. It is necessary to look beyond the city by
undertaking a regional planning exercise to identify and develop newer urban centres. Such a measure will not only
significantly reduce the pressure on Shimla but also bring about regional development.

There is a need for policy change regarding the notification of urban centres, given the fact that many settlements in
Himachal Pradesh do not qualify as “urban” simply because they do not have the minimum density threshold of 400
persons per sq. km. Thus, the density threshold must be revisited in the light of settlement structure in the hill areas,
which are spread thinly on available built-up space. This can help bring in the much-needed transformation towards
sustainable development.
How the present situation of Mumbai will affect its growth potential in future?
The city of Mumbai occupies a peninsular site on Bombay Island, a landmass originally composed of seven islets lying
off the Konkan coast of western India.

Mumbai has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Elephanta Caves and the
Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble. Mumbai is amongst the most densely-populated cities in India with an estimated
population of over 22 million residents, making it the 9th largest city by population in the world. Mumbai’s population
is predicted to continue to grow in the future. The population of Mumbai has grown due to natural increase and
migration.
Mumbai has grown in a Northern direction limited by physical Geography as shown in the image below. It is limited in
where it can grow with creek systems to the North and East, the Arabian Sea to the West and its harbour to the south
East. Mangrove swamps further complicate the picture, and these marginal lands often form the location for the
poorest people who live illegally in slums. One such slum is Dharavi, in the heart of Mumbai.

Mumbai now has a long history of suburbanisation, and many key events have occurred in the suburbanisation
process, initially in a Northwards direction along major transport routes such as roads and rail links, and now in an
Eastward direction. This suburbanisation has involved not just the growth of residential areas but also the relocation
and growth of new industrial areas.

This suburbanisation has had consequences;

1. People are economically stratified into those that can

afford better housing and those that cannot, rather than
historical caste, religious or linguistic stratifications

2. Less than a third of the population of Mumbai lives in

the `island' city.

3. The centre of density of population has shifted from

the island city well into suburban Salsette.

4. The commuter traffic has changed. Rather than being

just one way into the Central Business District (CBD) in the
south of the city in the mornings there is an increasing
movement of people in the opposite direction. Increasing
industrialisation of the suburbs is increasing this
movement.

Mumbai is also India’s economic engine contributing 6%

of India’s GDP and 33% of Income Tax collection, and
attracts migrants from all over the country. Flanked by the
coast on the east and the west, Mumbai’s space for expansion is limited. Mumbai, the commercial and financial centre
of India has a great potential to become the international finance centre of India but constraints like housing,
infrastructure, and environmental concerns are holding Mumbai back. The causes of urbanisation are multiple but
involve a high level of natural increase within Mumbai itself and in-migration principally from the surrounding district
of Maharashtra but also from neighbouring states. It is true that land reclamation has resulted in expansion of the
southern-most tip of the district, but the city still faces a shortage of real estate, coupled with exorbitant real estate
prices. This situation has been controlled to an extent by the repeal of the Urban Land Ceiling Act and the adoption of
a new approach on FSI, but it can be eased further by addressing the long-standing issue of rent control. The ever-
growing population and finite supply of land are putting immense pressure on the existing infrastructure of the city.
As in 2023, Mumbai is experiencing a significant increase in real estate construction activity. With over 11,000 active
construction sites, Mumbai's real estate industry presents a multitude of opportunities for its various stakeholders. The
construction surge in Mumbai creates a large number of employment opportunities, boosting economic growth and
lowering unemployment rates. The employment created in various sectors stimulates consumer expenditure, resulting
in a multiplier effect that is beneficial to the local economy.

Congested routes, long travel times and increased transport safety risks are impeding the economic growth of the city.
Infrastructure has to be planned in such a way that the clusters remain the same, but people can efficiently travel
reasonable distances with the help of efficient transportation facilities. The Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) is
one such initiative taken to improve rail and road transportation. To supplement MUTP, the Mumbai Metropolitan
Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has initiated another ambitious project-the Mumbai Urban Infrastructure
Project (MUIP)-which aims to improve the road network and design an efficient traffic dispersal system in Greater
Mumbai. Mumbai has one of the world’s worst road traffic and is ranked as the fifth most congested city. One of the
numerous factors that cause Mumbai’s traffic problems is the city’s linear geography. Cities like New Delhi and other
metros have radial geography, so they grow outwards and have multiple routes connecting one location to another.
Mumbai, on the other hand, is surrounded by the Arabian Sea, which limits its growth. With only two major highways,
the Western Express Highway and the Eastern Express Highway, connecting the north and south, the roads become
congested during peak rush hours.
Intra-city drive time is critical for Mumbai, which has two financial centres-the Bandra-Kurla Complex and the Nariman
Point/Fort area. To augment the suburban railways, a metro rail system and intra-city and coastal expressways have
been planned for the city. To alleviate infrastructure constraints such as transport, power, water, sewage and drainage,
PPP projects, many based on user charges, have been rolled out for the city. The Mumbai Metro Rail project,
implemented on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer basis, is in the execution stage. The MMRDA is the nodal agency for the
Mumbai Monorail project. For Mumbai, the challenge of coping with current demand and planning for future needs
remains formidable. An active collaboration between the public and the government is needed not only to lay down
the agenda for the framework but also to drive the processes to make Mumbai a more habitable city.

The Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in North Mumbai is a 103 square kilometre forest hemmed in by Mumbai’s
suburbs. Beyond biodiversity SGNP and the adjoining Aarey Forest serve as massive carbon sinks in over-polluted
Mumbai and a bulwark against the flooding that the city faces annually during its monsoon season. SGNP is also part of
the catchment area of the lakes that supply some of Mumbai’s water and the source of the Mithi and Dahisar rivers.
The ecological services provided by the SGNP to the city therefore are critical for preserving this important green lung.
Yet, over the years, the forests have lost land to encroachment, clearings for grazing and agriculture, forest fires as well
as diversion of land use. Even today several connectivity projects including elevated roads, tunnels and even train
tracks that would go over, under and through the National Park, leading to fears that these will fragment the land,
shrink habitats and ultimately endanger the survival of the forest.

The Mithi River – one of the oldest in the state of Maharashtra – is Mumbai’s natural storm water drainage system.
Originating from the overflow of the Vihar and Powai lakes in SGNP, the Mithi snakes through some of Mumbai’s most
congested residential and commercial areas before emptying into the Arabian Sea. Despite its pristine origins, years of
pollution from discharge of industrial effluents, untreated sewage, organic waste and garbage has made the Mithi a
dying river. Encroachments and the building of concrete retention walls within the national park, dumping of debris
and reclamation of the river’s floodplains, most notably for the development of the sprawling BKC commercial centre
has resulted in the river flooding during the monsoon. The flooding, which has increased in frequency and severity in
recent years, not only paralyzes road and rail networks in the city but also endangers the lives and property of those
who live along its banks.

Activists shared some facts on the environmental impact of the various projects. The coastal road will reclaim 164
hectares of land, which includes taking in the sea, according to BMC data. Local fisherfolk said that oysters and crabs, a
speciality of the Mumbai coast, would be killed. This costal road will also host other recreational amenities like cycle
tracks, sea promenade, open theatres, playgrounds etc. There is also the likelihood of the coastal road exacerbating the
issue of flooding in a city where the number of days of extreme rainfall in a season has increased, the carrying capacity
of the Mithi river has reduced and the prospect of sea level rise is already a significant risk factor.

It is estimated that 1,50,000 mangrove trees on 19 hectares would have to be cleared for the bullet train project. The
650-km long bullet train project is a part of a high-speed rail corridor that is supposed to run from Ahmedabad to
Pune, via Mumbai. This Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor will create demand for housing, retail and
commercial real estate in various ways. While BKC is a prominent business district in Mumbai, the biggest beneficiary
of the bullet train corridor will be the micro-markets. As the high-speed rail corridor will drive the demand for
affordable housing, townships projects like Marathon Nextown & Nexeworld will be at the forefront of this demand.
The city is set to lose mangroves to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, the coastal road and other projects. In Sewri,
the Mumbai Trans labour link (MTHL) which will connect Mumbai with its sister city Navi Mumbai and the new Airport,
will cut through a mudflat area (pictured below), which is estimated to be home to 12-15% of South Asia’s population
of lesser flamingos, and in the process destroy over 38 hectares of mangroves. Protection of the remaining mangroves
is critical, as the over 3,800 hectares of mangrove forests in Mumbai’s suburbs play a key role in flood control and as a
carbon store and will serve as the city’s first line of defence in the battle against climate change.

Architects and urban planners have presented the government recommendations for the Development Plan 2034. The
proposals include the setting up of an urban design cell to address issues such as climate change and looking for
competitive, environmentally sustainable bids for infrastructure projects.
The current problems of the Mumbai Port Authority are just the same as those of Madras (Chennai). A new container
port has been constructed on the other side of the harbour, but being managed by the state-owned Indian Railways, its
efficiency is also not up to the mark. Similarly, the airport, the busiest in the country, could probably be much improved
under private management. The increasing concentrations of global flows have exacerbated the inequalities and spatial
divisions of social classes in the city. In Mumbai, the uneven formalization of the city and the blur between what could
be defined as formal and informal, challenges the agency and practice of urban design and planning.

Mumbai has always been a city of contradictions. Home to billionaires and beggars, where sky-piercing high-rise towers
sprawl over slums, and old growth forests stand at odds with the ever-expanding concrete jungle. Increasing pressures
of urbanization in a city already bursting at its seams plus growing demand for housing and infrastructure, is eating into
the city’s last remaining green spaces resulting in a Faustian choice for urban planners and residents. With the looming
threat of climate change, evermore acute for a coastal city like Mumbai, a delicate balance will need to be struck to
ensure that India’s most important economic centre continues to grow sustainably, protecting the environment and the
quality of life.

Conclusion: The current real estate construction surge in Mumbai provides numerous opportunities for stakeholders,
stimulates economic expansion, and meets the housing demand. However, it is imperative to address the challenges
associated with rapid construction, such as environmental concerns, infrastructure strain, resident inconvenience, and
the possibility of a real estate crisis. By employing sustainable practices and effective planning, Mumbai can capitalize
on the current construction surge to create a vibrant and inclusive cityscape for its residents while ensuring long-term
socioeconomic benefits. Mumbai faces many challenges as it develops. Distributing resources in an inclusive manner
will be highly important if divides between slum-dwellers and those with a higher standard of living are to become less
extreme. Investments in infrastructure, services and transport for the metropolitan area should be a priority, as should
avoiding excessive gentrification. If Mumbai follows this path, a more inclusive future for the world’s most dense city
could be possible.