Real Freeze

The traffic problem has remained unchanged here,just like the old neighbourhood. The area enjoys the honour of being a part of South Mumbai while its proximity to three railway stations—Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus,Masjid Bunder and Marine Lines—can be called its crowning glory. The neighbouring markets,most of which are wholesale ones,add to its charm. Apart from the stainless steel market,Sutar Chawl,Zaveri Bazar and Mangaldas Market draw crowds all round the year.

The reason behind its unchanged landscape happens to be one of the biggest woes of this area,where the temple of Mumbadevi,the city’s presiding deity,is located. Most of the houses in this area are 50-60 years old and riddled by one of the city’s oldest problems—the tenant-landlord dispute. That’s why the area is untouched by the real estate boom. As a result,traffic congestion,garbage problems and water scarcity have cropped up in the locality.

“All these problems will be taken care of if the cluster development plans are implemented successfully. It would be a real boon for the area,” says Janak Sanghvi,Municipal Councillor and a member of BMC Improvement

Committee. After many attempts to find a permanent solution to the tenant-landlord logjam,the government has come up with this policy. If the plan proves to be a success,then the Kalbadevi skyline will feature a number of towers in the next few years.

However,the area hasn’t remained completely immune to changes. The transformation of the Cotton Exchange building into the Jewel World earlier this year was an indication of that. The art deco building,which had once witnessed hectic cotton trading,is now western India’s first jewellery mall. This renovated glass-and-marble structure stands out amidst rows of old buildings,which used to be predominantly occupied by workers engaged in trading and commerce.

Yet,it’s a fact that changes in this area have more to do with its demography than landscape. In the recent years,Kalbadevi has witnessed a drop in the number of residents and increase in commercial units. The floating population seems to have made up for the loss of old residents. But,not everyone is happy with this change. “The area has become more crowded and the traffic has increased manifold over the years. This has happened with residential spaces turning commercial centers,” says Gyanesh Trivedi,who runs a 104-year-old perfume store on Kalbadevi Road. He cites Swadeshi Market as a case in point.

For generations,Trivedi’s family has been living in this building—whose exterior wears a very rag-tag look with faded paint,broken glass windows and rusting railings. Step inside and rows of cloth shops give it a bright and colourful look. Gopal Mansion is another instance of such change. Dawood Electricwallah,who has a shop there for 18 years,says that he has lost lots of his clients in the last three years.