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12 March, 2010

A Paradox Residing In Mumbai

So, here is another picture for the Photograph Of The Week series...


[Photograph sourced from mfitch at Flickr]

This is an under-construction picture of Atilia, the world's largest private residence in Mumbai. This is being made by Mukesh Ambani  for his family and his fleet of vehicles.

So, as the title goes, what's the paradox about this news...?

Mumbai, where Mukesh Ambani is personally funding the world's largest private residence, is also home to Dharavi, Asia's biggest slum, that shelters over 1 million people.
A whooping $1 billion is the cost required to construct this high-rise and customised skyscraper. It is also going to be one of the tallest buildings in Mumbai. In short, the Ambanis are taking luxury to an altogether new level...

...But the biggest joke is that this tower is going to house only 6 family members with a massive fleet of 168 cars, three helipads, a theatre and 600 staffers for its upkeep.

At the same time, India is facing enormous land shortage problems. There's hardly any space left for constructing residential buildings. In fact, builders are now encroaching on forests and jungles to make way for high rise buildings. Land is a scarce commodity now and we need to use it resourcefully...

On one side, we have industrialists building customised towers and on the other, there are people who are dying in slums and other pathetic places. 


With such modern technology in civil engineering, Antilia-like structures can be home to at least a thousand people thus making full use of land.
I don't know where are we leading now...

What are your comments about the land being used, misused and abused by our people? Do you think building such state-of-the-art structures is practical enough in a nation where a secured home has become a rare thing now? Please do share your thoughts on this...