Better than Singapore and Dubai

I woke up feeling sorry for Singapore this morning specifically for what that countryrsquos tourism industry may have to prepare for in the coming years That feeling of pity arose from an announcement in last weekrsquos newspapers that Bandra Bay mdash a place I am not familiar with but Irsquom told exists somewhere in Bombay mdash was set to become the next big thing in real estate Apparently thanks to the largesse of this cityrsquos many caring builders therersquos going to be a whole lot of highend residential and retail space coming up in that lucky spot soon It will supposedly transform the face of that suburb and make it the envy of Asia and the Middle EastThat bit of news was particularly welcoming because one of the many things residents often complain about is how there isnrsquot enough residential or retail space to go around lsquoIf only we had more towers and mallsrsquo they say lsquoinstead of parks and gardensrsquo I imagined the joy on their faces after reading the report it must have felt like one of many dreams come trueAlso amazing was an accompanying declaration that this new round of development will make Bombay the lsquoWaterfront Capital of Indiarsquo The report describing this as the cityrsquos most prestigious redevelopment compared it to places like Dubai Marina Palm Jumeirah and Singaporersquos Marina Bay hence my worry that those countries would have to work harder than ever to attract tourists After all who would visit Singapore when given the option of being stuck on the Western Express Highway between Andheri and Bandra instead The choice wouldnrsquot even be fairAnd yet despite my unbridled happiness I couldnrsquot help asking if this would change anything for the better when it came to the lives of locals in the vicinity of this new planned wonder Towers now dot every part of Bombay and I often think of the millions living in their shadows and whether the presence of luxury homes in their midst has been of any particular benefit Part of me is also aware that Bombayrsquos builders are clowns who will say anything they can to sell an apartment but that insult only absolves them of the real havoc they unleash with projects that ignore the cityrsquos crumbling infrastructure It also makes me question if paying R12 crore for a 3BHK makes sense when its owners must spend half a day in traffic to get homeI grew up in a suburb close to the sea so I have long been aware of how much lsquowaterfront accessrsquo we have always had I have also watched with increasing horror how these sweeping vistas have been ignored paved over and irrevocably destroyed by governments and their successive plans for a city they neither understand nor care about I suspect those who live in Bandra will have a lot to say about new residences destined to rise in their midst but no one appears to have asked for their opinion before so why start nowThe builders who are now referring to the emergence of a lsquoluxury waterfront corridorrsquo do it as if this is meant to make things better for anyone except those who can afford to buy these apartments Of what good is luxury housing if it contributes nothing of value to a city and bequeaths nothing to those who canrsquot afford to live in those apartments Why must a city celebrate the presence of something that enriches no one but builders And since when did luxury housing become a sign of progress over roads walkways hospitals and hygiene Irsquod be happier if Bombay were to become the lsquoPublic Toilet Capitalrsquo of India and Irsquom pretty sure a lot of people would celebrate that accoladeI suspect that I am starting to come across as a bit pessimistic after adopting a tone at odds with the opening remarks of this column That may be because I am starting to recall what builders have done to every waterfront in my lifetime I remember similar promises being made of great buildings and amazing malls and how these properties are set to transform one suburb after another turning them into better versions of Milan London and New YorkThe buildings have appeared as have the malls and shopping arcades but they have improved nothing If you need proof visit Bandra on any evening this week Try getting from one end to the other without a fuss and ask yourself if it feels like progressWhen he isnrsquot ranting about all things Mumbai Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet He tweets lindsaypereiraSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycom