Mumbai | Abha Shahra Shyama

In this concrete jungle I search for my Mumbai

In this concrete jungle I search for that rainbow which was my Mumbai ;

Every time I am sad and depressed about the downfall of my city I make a plan on moving out; But how do I do this; I am Mumbai and Mumbai is me..

Where else will I feel at home?

Though my city has become a hole I continue to live here as leaving this home would mean leaving my entire life and memories behind .. I am addicted

In this concrete jungle I search for my Mumbai

MUMBAI .. the city that once was the pride of our nation is now just a shadow which waits for death as the darkness engulfs .. what have we done to the once beautiful and green city. It took just 25/30 years to destroy that which was looked upon as a dream city

Mumbai has become a nightmare. Having spent 54 out of my 62 years in this city I see and watch with despair the deterioration in every aspect of living..

too many people jammed in the kilometre.

Quality of air, water, food is at an ultimate low

Roads are a nightmare .. again too many cars.. too many two wheelers .. too many people jay walking

Footpaths taken over by the hawkers..roads encroached with parking cars or buses or tempos

Construction material lying around after completion of a job

No one, absolutely no one to safe guard the citizens rights; they who pay all taxes on time, and maintain every aspect of civic sense

The elected government just does not care.. the #BMC has been super negligent in their jobs

#shivsena who make several promises overlook and forget once elected in power

No parks left to have a quiet walk .. what happened?

My childhood was spent literally walking to school through green fields .. Drinking water directly from the municipal taps at school and in gardens was the done thing

TOO MUCH ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION.. too much migration of people looking for livelihoods.. development of illegal slums .. the list of destructions is endless 😠

Mumbai is the planets second most densely populated city with 31,700 people per square kilometre, as per UN habitat data

In my country the homeless and the very poor are very easily spotted and photographed, as they form a major part of our population. This picture is neither about poverty nor about my country.

Here she lies on a footpath where hundreds walk by every hour.

Its said that a photograph speaks more than any amount of words.

If you look closely, there is a packet of sandwiches for her, along with a bottle of sealed water. Which means fresh food and water is kept for her when she wakes up, not discarded food. Beggars are routinely given alms etc. but this particular lady is asleep and not even begging or asking for food.

It’s an act from a human who is alive to humanity.

I honor this act by exhibiting it on my blog here.

God Bless you!