Mumbai: Is Mumbai's new Development Control and Promotion Regulation (DCPR- 2034), which governs land use and building construction, triggering a public health crisis?With new laws permitting unusually tall towers due to excessive floor space index (FSI) in saturated wards, and unabated redevelopment and concessions in open spaces allowing five-foot distance between two buildings, medical experts warn of a potential health catastrophe.With large-scale road concretisation and loss of green cover, doctors said Mumbai is facing a slow but undeniable environmental and public health collapse. "We are witnessing a sustained increase in respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease, heat stress, anxiety disorders, and pollution-related complications," they said.Senior architect Shirish Sukhatme, who has been talking to leading doctors about the correlation between the new DCPR and public health, said urban density in Mumbai already exceeds 20,000 persons per sq km in several wards, making it among the densest cities in the world. These particles get inhaled through the lungs, travel to the arteries, injuring or damaging them," he said.Dr Arshad G Mohammad, ex-president of Indian Medical Association (Mumbai West), said unchecked redevelopment (where even solid buildings are demolished) and greed for more space is shrinking the city's greenery.
Author: Malathy Iyer,Nauzer K Bharucha
Published at: 2026-02-28 23:43:00
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