Infra not in step with Powai, Vikhroli’s growth

There was a time when Powai earned the moniker of ‘Powai Valley’ as it was supposed to be the destination for start-ups – an idea encouraged by the presence of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bombay

Powai’s growth narrative dates back to the 1950s, when IIT-B opened and new constructions started. In 1986, the Hiranandani Group made an entry after an agreement with the state government to develop affordable housing over 344 acres. By the 1990s, the group started pitching the area to affluent home buyers which birthed the Hiranandani Gardens – a coveted spot.

Mumbai, India - Mar 04,2024: Last mile connectivity issues at Business Hubs, Powaiin Mumbai, India. Mar 04,2024. (Photo by Raju Shinde/ Hindustan Times)

A little less than seven kilometers away from Powai, is Vikhroli, where the Godrej family holds 3,400 acres of land. Bought by the family patriarch Pirojsha Godrej in an auction held by the Bombay high court in 1942, the area is home to several businesses run by the family including the Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing plant.

Both Powai and Vikhroli are well-connected, especially with the first metro line of the city running from Ghatkopar station, four to five kilometers from Powai and less than two kilometers from Vikhroli. Suburban railway stations on this stretch are: Kanjurmarg, Vikhroli and Ghatkopar. Other nodal connectors are the Lal Bahadur Shastri Road, Eastern Express Highway (EEH), Eastern Freeway, Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road and Santacruz-Chembur Link Road.

As the two suburbs are home to many business houses (see boxes), rush hour traffic is inevitable. Businesses are concentrated at the Hiranandani Knowledge Park and Godrej IT Park. In principle, the areas are well connected by autos and buses, but the ground reality fails to bear out.

Abhishek Waghmare, who works at a multinational consulting firm in Powai, said drivers take advantage of people by inflating the prices for shared commutes. “Some companies provide shuttle services to nearby stations which helps the employees. However, those depending on autos and buses have to wait in long queues for up to half an hour in peak time,” he said.

A lady who works in the same area often goes to nearby D’Mart after work waiting for the traffic to ease. “Buses plying from here to Vikhroli station are packed. Therefore, I wait till around 7pm to for my bus. There have been days when I have waited for almost an hour for transport to the station. Traffic is particularly bad at the chicken’s neck where Vikhroli and Powai merge ahead of Kailash Complex,” she said.

The Godrej IT Park, located opposite R-City Mall, has shared autos plying to both Ghatkopar and Vikhroli railway stations. The Vikhroli bus depot is also across the street which makes travelling by buses a viable last-mile connectivity option for workers. However, citizens are overwhelmed by long queues for autos and overloaded buses.

Overcharging by the auto drivers is routine. Ghansoli resident Nisha Rajput, a manager in a food court, at the IT Park, said, “I was tricked into paying ₹150 to an auto driver to take me from Ghatkopar station to the Godrej IT Park, a distance of two kilometers.”

She said the huge crowd that gathers at the auto stand often results in her colleagues arriving late to work. “One has no choice but to wait in the serpentine queues outside the railway stations before and after work. Many of our team members arrive 30 to 45 minutes later than the mandated time,” said Rajput, adding apart from a loss of several man hours, it also impacts efficiency.

Property tech professional Abhishek Ghara, who recently moved from Kolkata and lives in Andheri West, is not impressed by the lateral connectivity in the city. “While there’s much planning and existing infrastructure to enhance the north-south connectivity in Mumbai, I don’t see much to improve the east-west connectivity,” said Ghara.

The metro service, he said helps him travel from Andheri to Ghatkopar in 25 minutes. “I can’t imagine the commute by road,” he added. Those taking Cityflo or Mylo buses to avoid the overcrowded metro in peak hours, take an hour for the same distance, given the narrow, congested roads.

The problem may soon be resolved as the upcoming line of the Metro line 6 will connect Kanjurmarg and Vikhroli to Lokhandwala in Andheri West. The project is likely to be completed by the December 2024.

The idea of decongesting the city’s business district is not a new one. Former minister of urban development, Chandrakant Tiwari, recalled how in the 1980s, he was part of many discussions about how an attempt to decongest Bandra-Kurla Complex would drive people northward.

“Even in those days, Vikhroli was an industrial hub while Powai housed several corporate offices. Over the years factories were closed down and corporate offices emerged. The existing infrastructure has not been able to cope with the influx of people,” said Tiwari, suggesting extending the roads into the empty parcels of land close to the highway.

Architect Jagdeep Desai, founder trustee and chairperson of Forum for Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai acknowledged the poor last-mile connectivity in all the business hubs of Mumbai.

“Shared autos drive in a way that endangers human life by plying four to five people at a time, uncaring of the rules. There is a ‘station area traffic improvement scheme’ run by the government but none of its suggestions are implemented. Ramps for shared autos or lanes for different routes remain unused in most cases,” he said.

Dhawal Ashar, head of Sustainable Cities and Transport programme at the World Resources Institute, observed how post-2000 there has been a boom in housing and business in Powai, where citizens prefer to use private vehicles, which lead to traffic clogs.

“There are two main roads to access Powai – JVLR takes most of the burden which is also a crucial east-west connector; the other is LBS Marg. It’s not rocket science to understand that if you have a busy area with only two roads leading to it, there will be a strain on traffic,” said Ashar, who pinned his hope on Metro 6.

“Powai will improve once the metro becomes functional, but it must be augmented with buses and the area should be walkable. That will incentivise people to use public transport. This planning was needed way in advance,” he said.

(With input by Sabah Virani.)