Figure 1.5- Timeline of Mumbai

Figure 1.5- Timeline of Mumbai, Author Gauri Mukund Kuvar Aditya College of Architecture

1.4 Area of concern

Seeing the timeline of Mumbai, it is seen that a few events stand vital in framing Mumbai’s fabric. One of the most important events is Rise of Textile Mills. A brief timeline of Textile Mills explains how tragically they ended followed by formation of over 600 acres of idle land in the core of Mumbai.

The redevelopment pattern of these sick mills can be seen as a boom in the high end high rises that arose rapidly in the beginning of the century. The idea of developing mill lands together is lost. City has already lost on its open spaces, housing for poor and its industrial identity. London reportedly has a per capita open space of 50 sq metres, Delhi has about 14-15 sq metres, compared to less than 2 sq metres in Mumbai.

Now the city has a few dilapidated mill lands and a few working mills. Both of these don’t have a future. Also issues of the workers have not been addressed. There is a huge chunk of population (over 2000 families) that still depends on the working mills. Uncertain future of these working mills puts a question on what has the city preserved from its rich history? and what has it done to the people who were a part of it? Today, the working mill lands stand as a hope to address this area of concern. Strategies of looking at working mills can answer these questions and can be looked as an asset.

1.5 Research questions

 How to justify that the Working Mills in Mumbai need to be saved and taken as an asset in the future?  Can an extension to the working mill help and reduce the losses that mills face every month? Will the extension help to sustain the mills?  What has to be the apt program that can justify both the needs of the mills and mill workers? Also it has to compliment the need of the time?

1.6 Aim and Objectives

Aim: To derive a sustainable solution that will cater to the current needs of Working Mills/workers in order to preserve the Industrial Identity and; creating a better fabric around by addressing the needs of the context/people and the city as a whole.

Objectives:

 To study the government policies regarding the redevelopment of the mills. Study a few examples to get a real filed idea and study the trend.  To analyse what has the city lost and what can be done i.o.t. make the working mills function better, and cater to the current scenario too.  To identify the stakeholders who are directly or indirectly in relation with the textile mills.  To identify the needs of the stakeholders and planning strategies to address the needs.

1.7 Hypothesis

An extension that will build a case for currently working mills; benefit the futures of people and city altogether. This will generate revenue by establishing an individual system in itself which can help to address the current requirements. This will complementally revitalize the working mill and mill workers also; provide scope to the textile market and generate new income opportunities.

1.8 Scope and Limitations

Scope:

NTC has invested Rs. 150 cr. to modernise the working mills, employing 2,000 workers. Even as private textile mill owners here shift from producing cloth to developing real estate, government-owned National Textile

Corporation (NTC) has pumped in Rs 150 cr. to modernise three mills in the city. The company’s three units in the city’s mill district — Tata Mills (Parel), Podar Mills (Lower Parel) and Indu Mills No 5 (near Lalbaug) — are set to use new German and American equipment.

These mills would together produce 10-12 million kg of yarn annually and 14 million tonnes of cloth. Though some NTC properties have been sold, a Mumbai-based analyst said the development is quite significant, that NTC

preferred to modernise and run these mills than opt for closure to reap a

windfall through the sale of land. Property prices have picked up in recent months and in central Mumbai, the going rate is in the region of Rs 30,000 per sq. ft. “Three mills are located on almost 60 acres. NTC has ploughed back a portion of proceeds of sale of land from other mills to revive these,” an official who did not wish to be identified to Business Standard. But, he said, given the high cost of power, the public sector company would be asking the state

government to provide electricity at subsidised rates.

NTC used to have 25 mills in Mumbai. Apart from the revival of these three, it has taken the joint venture route to redevelop India United Mills No 1, Apollo Mills and Gold Mohur Mills, in south-central Mumbai. These mills were closed after NTC got approval from the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction. The redeveloped mills will not be composite units but will have a garment unit and other allied businesses Maharashtra minister of state for industry Sachin Ahir said NTC has entered into an agreement with the textile millworkers union, the Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh, for providing jobs to nearly 5,000 workers in the to-be-redeveloped India United Mills No 1, Apollo Mills and Gold Mohur Mill. This role of NTC will certainly be in favour of the Extension that will be planned on the surplus lands of Tata Mills, Dadar. The government’s will to preserve the working mills, the living heritage of the city is a scope in this case. (Jog, 2010)

Limitations:

 The extension or the support system that is planned; only limits to Tata

Mills, and no other working mill in Mumbai.  The current physical drawbacks in the context are not considered.  The surplus areas in mills are not be developed entirely. It will be addressed as per the need of the program.

1.9 Methodology

To study about how did originally mills operate and the society used to function. Studying what has the city lost and what does it still have in terms f heritage. Studying case studies of places where such heritages are preserved irrespective of the modern day era and requirements.

Studying the current pattern of how do the mills function in Mumbai. To derive conclusions from what is to be revitalised according to its importance and value. Identifying the stakeholders associated with mills. This will help to uplift the current condition of the mill and at the same time it will complement the stakeholders too.

If a justifiable job is done in redeveloping such properties, then it will have a great impact on Mumbai’s Urban Design Policy. Policies which Mumbai implement are often adopted by cities across India. This is to be done by the benefit of the value of the textile mills and the needs of the city both.

2 Literature Review – Girangaon

2.1 The Mill Precincts

The cotton textile industry initiated in the early 19th century, in Mumbai played a significant role in the city’s economic progress, urban development and social structure. Today the mill precinct of Mumbai stands defunct and stimulates Mumbai’s real estate market. Majority of the recent development of the mill land is merely commercial complexes. This is the result of political exploration. It is unfortunate that this development does not consider the century long history of cotton industry and its contribution to the city, mill districts social requirement and Mumbai’s environmental health. With the rapid urbanization, population explosion 600 acres of mill land was a critical factor for Mumbai’s urban resurrection. In addition to this economic backbone of the city the ‘mill precinct’ deserves a due recognition and identity in the ‘image’ of the city Mumbai. (Venugopal, 2014)

2.1.1 Location

“Girangaon” (Marathi word) means “Mill village” or the mill precinct. It is characterized by industrial architecture of more than 50 mills. Girangaon was home to thousands of mill workers and their families. Mumbai’s mill precinct was dominated by the housing settlements by workers, their social networks and communities. The precinct stretched from Lalbaug to Parel and Worli to Sewri and it spread across an area of 25sq.km. Mill precinct was integrated to Mumbai’s mass transit system. It was well connected to the major streets.1

2.2 Origin

The first mill was established by Cowasji Davar in the year of 1856. By 1862, four mills were added and this number grew to 21 by 1885. By early 20th century there were more than 50 textile mills in Mumbai which transformed it from a trading town to a manufacturing center. Increased employment