A lot has changed in Marine Drive in last 100 years... but not for better

Mumbai - Long-time residents of Marine Drive bemoan that recent years have seen a steady deterioration in the quality of life.

The development of one of the most iconic localities of India's financial capital, Marine Drive, began a hundred years ago on December 18, 1915. And to mark the occasion, the General Post Office came out with a commemorative postcard on Friday evening.
But long-time residents of Marine Drive bemoan that recent years have seen a steady deterioration in the quality of life along this nearly 5km-long stretch, which runs in a C-shaped arc from Nariman Point, the city's business hub, to Chowpatty in the north.
Nikhil Banker, joint secretary, Marine Drive Residents Action Group, who has lived in the area for all of his 48 years, told Khaleej Times on Saturday that the biggest problem relates to the frequent weddings being held in the gymkhanas in the neighbourhood.
"There is constant noise pollution when the weddings take place and the processions wind their way to the venue," he remarks. "Worse, there is atmospheric pollution the next morning when they burn all the waste." And of course, there are massive traffic snarls during the weddings as thousands of cars are parked on pavements and even on the roads for hours during the evenings.
Banker says the cricket matches at the Wankhede Stadium (also located in Marine Drive), especially the Indian Premier League series, are the other major cause for concern for residents. With tens of thousands of spectators descending on the stadium, there is virtually no space for the residents to move out.
Many schools and colleges also host their sporting meets at the university sports grounds, adding to the chaos along Marine Drive. "We have been urging the government to shift many of the events to the Bandra-Kurla complex, but it has not happened," points out Banker.
In the evenings, when the street lights are on, Marine Drive looks like a 'queen's necklace' from the top of Malabar Hill. But from 4pm till well past midnight, the 5km artery is a motorist's nightmare (as it is during the morning peak hours), as traffic crawls at a slow pace. But later at night, daredevil bikers speed on the wide road, disturbing the residents and also getting involved in accidents.
Thousands of residents from other parts of Mumbai and tourists from all over India visit Marine Drive and enjoy the fresh sea breeze in the evenings. But they also draw in hawkers, beggars and pick-pockets, who pester the visitors and local residents.
One of the best times to visit Marine Drive is during the monsoons, when gigantic waves lash against the 10ft high walls that protect the promenade from the furious sea. The civic body has over the years placed giant tetrapods to prevent erosion.
During the 1920s and 1930s, several Art Deco style buildings came up along the seafront after the reclamation of the sea. In the previous century, many Victorian neo-Gothic buildings were developed from the VT station to the Oval Maidan. But after the reclamation of Marine Drive, buildings flaunting the Art Deco style came up along the arc and to the western part of Oval.
However, the fury of the monsoons and high humidity has resulted in the deterioration of many of these five-storeyed buildings. Activists and government officials are now trying to get the Art Deco buildings of Marine Drive and other parts of Mumbai nominated in the Unesco's World Heritage site.
nithin@khaleejtimes.com