Mumbai City Facts

Area   438.77 sq kms Population   20 million (for Mumbai Metropolitan area, Thane and Navi Mumbai) Altitude   At Sea Level Geographical Location   Latitude - 18º 53' North, Longitude - 72º 50' East Climate Mumbai's temperatures are stable. The city has a warm and humid climate throughout the year. Warmest Months   March - mid - June Average Temperature - Day - 35º C, Night - 25º C Coolest Months   November - January Average temperature - Day - 30º C; Night - 20º C Rainfall   216 cms (June to September) Lakes in Mumbai   Tulsi, Vihar, Powai, Tansa, Vaitarna and Bhatsai. Flowering Trees of Mumbai   Gulmohar, Rain Tree, Palash. Language Regional Language: Marathi. English, Hindi, Gujarati are the other languages spoken in the city. Majority of the people speak Hindi, about half speak Marathi and a quarter Gujarati. Public Transport Local trains, buses, taxis and autorickshaws are the major means of public transport in Mumbai. Local trains operate on three lines i.e., Western, Central and Harbour. For the convenience of the commuters, monthly and quarterly passes are also made available.   Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST)   Buses cover almost all of Mumbai and are linked to all the suburban railway stations. Air-conditioned/luxury services are also available on select routes.   Taxis ply all over the city and its suburbs, the minimum fare being Rs 13/-. Air-conditioned taxis popularly called 'Cool Cabs' are also available in the city. However, it costs 25% more than normal taxi fare.   Autorickshaws are allowed to operate only in suburbs and the minimum fare is Rs 8.00/-. There is a 25% surcharge on the autorickshaw and taxi fare between 12 am and 5 am. (For details refer to the fare table in the Transportation section). Car Rental One can hire a car on a day-to-day basis. The average rental, depending on the model, varies between Rs 1650/- and Rs 2550/- for eight hours, up to eighty kilometres. Every extra hour costs between Rs 80/- to Rs 100/- and the cost of an additional kilometre ranges between Rs 16/- to Rs 25/-. Communication Facilities The Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) has a telephone network with around 2 million lines installed all over the city. MTNL now has a competitor in Hughes Telecom, another telephone service provider. There are several public phone booths with local, national (STD) and international (ISD) facilities. Most local phones are coin operated. MTNL also offers prepaid cards. The city is now also dotted with Internet parlours, making communication easier. Mobile Phone Services The city has a GSM based mobile phone network, covering the suburban area. There are two major brands i.e., Orange and BPL Mobile. Mobile phones are also available for hire, with prepaid Si-m Cards. Call Orange on 432 1111 and BPL Mobile on 497 1800. Pollution Statistics   The air pollution index comprises of three air pollutants - SO2, NO2 and SPM, which range from 16 to 58 (Microgrammes per M3) for industrial areas and 30 to 102 (Mg/M3) for residential areas. Some of the most polluted areas in the city are Maravali and Khar. As per the latest survey, the overall range of noise levels in the city is 52-90 dB (decibels). The Eastern suburb records 66-94 dB and the Western suburb records 64-90 dB, exceeding permissible standards. Source: Environment Status Report of Brihanmumbai 1998-99. Dressing and Eating Mumbaiites prefer informal and comfortable clothing than formal for their everyday clothing. Cotton and jeans are preferred to synthetic clothes. However, Mumbai being a cosmopolitan city, one can also find people wearing all kinds of western and traditional outfits here. The city offers a wide choice for foodies too. Mumbai cuisine usually has the flavour of all kinds of dishes from across India and abroad. The city has a number of eateries, right from the pure vegetarian one to Thai, Chinese and Continental restaurants. Indian Summer, Golden Dragon, Fiorella and Thai Pavilion, are some of the more famous names. Markets and Shopping Areas Mumbai is a shopper's paradise. It has every kind of product, in every price range, to satisfy every wallet. You can shop in the streets or venture into the air-conditioned shopping arcades of the top hotels like the Taj and The Oberoi. Crawford Market, Colaba Causeway, Fashion Street, World Trade Centre, Breach Candy, Linking Road and Dadar TT are some of the places where you can satiate your shopping appetite. Zaveri Bazaar has all the beautiful jewellery you will ever want to buy and Chor Bazaar (the thieves market) offers you everything from the original to the replica, whichever you can afford. If you are shopping in Mumbai, shopping malls are worth a visit. Even if you don't intend to buy anything, just visiting them is an experience in itself. Akbarllys, Shoppers' Stop, Cross Roads, Westside, Asiatic Departmental Store, Bell Plaza, Benzer and Cliff Collection are some of the popular names. (For more information on Mumbai Fashion and Shopping, Click here.) Political Party in Power The Democratic Front, comprising of eight political parties i.e., Congress, NCP, JD (S), RPI, BBM, SP and independents, is the ruling party. Vilasrao Deshmukh (Congress-I) is the Chief Minister of the state. Address: Chief Minister's Office, VI Floor, Mantralaya, Mumbai - 400 0 32, Phone: 202 5151 / 52, Fax: 202 9214 DGP (Maharashtra State Director General of Police) S.C.Malhotra Address: Adjacent Regal Cinema, Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg, Colaba, Mumbai - 400 039, Phone: 282 2631 / 202 6636, Fax: 284 0598 Police Commissioner M.N.Singh Address: Police Commissioner's Office, L.T. Marg, Opposite Crawford Market, Mumbai - 400 001, Phone: 262 0826, Fax: 262 1835 Mayor of Mumbai Harishwar Patil Address: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Building, I Floor, Mayor Section, Mahapalika Marg, Mumbai - 400 001 Phone: 262 0470 / 262 1020, Fax: 269 6769 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner V. Ranganathan Address: Municipal Commissioner's Office, Mahapalika Marg, Fort, Mumbai - 400 001, Phone: 262 1262, Fax: 262 6437 Number of Legislative Seats Legislative Assembly: 289 Legislative Council: 78