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Urban Ecologies in Transition: Contestations around Waste in Mumbai

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Sustainable Urbanization in India

Part of the book series: Exploring Urban Change in South Asia ((EUCS))

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Abstract

The paper interrogates the nature of rapid transitions of urban space in a country like India using a case study of a dumping ground located at Kanjurmarg in Mumbai. The land in question was a dense mangrove wetland which was speculatively reclaimed for a landfill. It looks at the protests and contestations around the site to raise questions on the nature of transitions of urban green spaces and explores how human–nature interactions are shaped by politics of development. Inequalities resulting from differential distribution and partial access of urban landscape/resources involving various actors, particularly the state and from micro political processes are explored. It draws from responses of actors and gaps in governance to understand the larger debate around urban social and environmental justice.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India, on February 19, 1991 and revised on January 6, 2011 for the purpose of protecting coastal resources from depletion and degradation and to manage developmental activities along the coastline, issued the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification in 1991 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. This notification declared the coastal stretches of seas, bays, estuaries, creeks, rivers and backwaters influenced by tidal action up to 500 m from the ‘High Tide Line’ (“HTL”) and land between ‘Low Tide Line’ (“LTL”) and the HTL as the Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZs). Restrictions were imposed on developmental activities and the notification would regulate the use of land within 500 m of the coast and 100 m along the tidal-influenced water bodies. CRZ is divided into I, II, III with I being the most sensitive and rich in biodiversity.

  2. 2.

    India is a signatory to Ramsar Convention on Wetlands signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. It also lists wetlands of international importance (www.ramsar.org).

  3. 3.

    The National Green Tribunal has been established on 18.10.2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment (www.greentribunal.gov.in).

  4. 4.

    Swachh Bharat Mission translates to Clean India Mission in English. It was launched on October 2, 2014 as a nationwide call to clean India and improve hygiene by building toilets to eradicate open defecation. The cleaning drive was started by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi which gained immediate momentum. One of the mission objectives is to ‘Introduce modern and scientific municipal solid waste management practices’ by 2019.

  5. 5.

    As per CRZ Notification 2011, under section 3, sub section (V) prohibits discharge of untreated waste and effluents from industries, cities or towns and other human settlements.

  6. 6.

    Steven Lukes gives three-dimensional view of power, the first deals with the most visible forms of power, for example decision-making by the state. The second-dimensional view of power talks about the act of decision-making as well as non-decision-making, for example the act of ignoring or not responding to grievances. In the third dimensional view of power Lukes includes forms of power which are not observable ‘invisible power’, like the deliberate attempts of the powerful to manipulate thoughts of the powerless. The powerless are often not even aware that they are being subjected to manipulation and this is done to prevent formation of grievances.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Center for Development Research (ZEF), Bonn, Germany

    Sneha Sharma

  2. Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India

    D. Parthasarathy

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  1. Sneha Sharma
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  2. D. Parthasarathy
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Correspondence to Sneha Sharma .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India

    Jenia Mukherjee

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Sharma, S., Parthasarathy, D. (2018). Urban Ecologies in Transition: Contestations around Waste in Mumbai. In: Mukherjee, J. (eds) Sustainable Urbanization in India. Exploring Urban Change in South Asia. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4932-3_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4932-3_11

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