Mumbai
RESIDING
IN MUMBAI
A
longer stay: Flats
in the suburbs are recommended. Rents are rather high, in the
region of Rs. 8,000-12,000 onwards.
While
the choice is large, executives seem to prefer the western suburbs,
starting from Vile Parle towards the North. The eastern suburbs
(on the central railway line) like Mulund and Thane are less
costly. Some areas on the eastern side like Chembur are rather
badly affected by pollution though. In the western suburbs,
the approximate rental for a two bedroom apartment works out
to RS 12,000-20,000 in the average western suburbs. Independent
houses are simply out of the question for most. "Paying guest"
accommodation - a room and bath inside a flat, with meals -
is also available. Single girls and guys usually manage with
this until three or four get together to share a flat.
INFRASTRUCTURE,
SERVICES
As
can be expected Mumbai is a large city where everything runs
like digital clockwork. Barring rare system crashes ( politician
sponsored) uptime is superb among Indian cities. Which means
Electricity, water, cooking gas, and all the other day to day
stuff etc. are available without much difficulty.
Air:
In spite of many polluting agents like traffic and industry,
surprisingly the Mumbai air is not so bad. This is due to the
sea breeze which blows across the city constantly. Trees and
vegetation have made a comeback in Mumbai in the last decade.
Temperature:
Mumbai has an equable and humid climate. The average temperature
throughout the year hovers around 28 degree Celsius. Being a
coastal area, Mumbai has high humidity levels of upto 98 %,
which makes it a sticky and sweaty place to live in.
Water:
Water supply is piped from reservoirs far away. Although treated
and filtered, during heavy rains or dry summers contamination
from backflow through corroded pipes is quite possible in some
areas.
Law
and order : For such a large city Mumbai is surprisingly
very peaceful. Mainly because people are employed and preoccupied
with their work or getting home. Property crimes are reported
regularly, but violent incidents of robbery are few. Petty crime
like picking pockets, pilfering are fairly common. It is generally
a good idea to keep track of one's bags at railway stations
and airports. The crowded train compartments naturally attract
pickpockets.
Politicians
have increased communal tension in recent years.
With
overcrowding, exploitation , business rivalry and far off political
events like Babri Masjid there has been a deterioration in the
overall law and order scene in Mumbai. There were a series of
blasts, said to be set off by the underworld and shadowy political
figures, which caused momentary panic.
Real
estate prices being what they are, (a small flat in posh localities
costs over two crore) a major part of the underworld is active
in this field. They strictly do not interfere with the public
in any case. Politician sponsored rioting does take place now
and then, usually sparked off by local problems. When large
groups are very agitated about some issue, they stage a "morcha"
(noisy demonstration-parade) and a "bandh" or general strike
where the city is supposed to grind to a halt. However many
people usually take this as a challenge and try their utmost
to slip past the strikers. The students take a day off and play
cricket on the deserted roads. (Unofficially, bandhs last till
4 in the evening)
Telephones
and Post : Telephones are well managed in Mumbai, but there
is a waiting list of about three months in easy areas. Partly
for this reason cell phones are popular.
Post: - The long suffering postmen in Mumbai have to
trudge up skyscrapers, yet manage a weary smile. They work very
hard. Courier services charge more and are popular too. Traditional
courier services called Angadia, which existed for centuries,
routinely transport diamonds worth crores. Domestic help is
easily available in every area. A domestic helper would cost
around RS 400-500, while a live-in maid would cost anything
from RS 1500-2000 depending on the duties. A trend seen nowadays
is people tend to prefer gadgets rather than depend on domestic
help. In the well heeled areas domestic helpers are very savvy
about using vacuums and washing machines and dishwashers, too.
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