Somebody has bought yet another part of the city’s soul. In Khotachiwadi – Mumbai’s last chance of reclaiming some of its dignified urban architecture for common people – one more killer transaction has taken place. The Dias house, no 35 Khotachiwadi, with its distinctive balconies and sloping roofs will give way to an 18 floor concrete tower that will grow out of a thin sliver of land in total disproportion to the neighbourhood. With false claims of a 30 feet access road – a joke and a lie if you know the quaint by lanes of this historic area – the builder has forced an epic civic blunder on everyone.

Now, no one says that all of Mumbai should be frozen in time. Change is what made places like Khotachiwadi possible. But the fact remains that Mumbai’s several villages, Koliwadas and distinctive habitats like Khotachiwadi were and remain an integral part of the city’s contemporary landscape. They are functional, beautiful and add as much depth and character as historic towns and habitats do in old Europe. They can be part of the city’s tourist economy, provide viable options for people across the class spectrum and give character to the city that makes everyone appreciate Mumbai’s history.

But what are we doing? Draining away all character and civic amenities in the case of the villages (we look at Worli village as a slum right?) and destroy habitats like Khotachiwadi and convert the zone into a civic disaster.

The 18 stories will contribute to complete havoc in terms of traffic, water and sewage. What is emerging is not change or modernity, but a mistaken notion of what the city should be. A notion that only helps Commonwealth style corruption, Adarsh Nagar style deception and further proof that the city is not interested in helping its common citizens.

Don’t look at preserving the bungalow in Khotachiwadi as a symbol of nostalgia or a longing for the city’s past. It is all about making sensible choices for the city’s present and ensuring a better and dynamic future.

Please come in large numbers and stop this mad take over of the city’s soul.

Khotachiwadi is one of the most charismatic and charming neighborhouds of Mumbai. Situated in Girgaum, South Mumbai, Khoatchiwadi is a historical hamlet where some of the oldest cottage houses of Mumbai can be seen. Less than 30 of this houses designed in typical Portuguese still remain today. The small street of Khotachiwadi have preserved its communal and village-like atmosphere up to these days, in spite of the construction of many buildings of varied architectural taste in the wadi since the 1930s. Who better than James Feirerra, a celebrated fashion designer and 5th generation Khotachiwadi resident to present his neighborhoud? This video was produced by URBZ intern Guillaume Folliot:

And also watch this interview of Dr. Shah, a “newcomer” in Khotachiwadi: