Shirish B Patel, Renowned Engineer and Planner Is No More
Moneylife Digital Team 20 December 2024
Shirish B Patel, a distinguished Indian civil engineer and urban planner, passed away in Mumbai on December 20, 2024, at the age of 92. His visionary work and unwavering commitment to sustainable urban development have left an indelible mark on Mumbai's landscape.
 
Born in 1932, Mr Patel's career spanned over six decades, during which he made significant contributions to India's infrastructure and urban planning. In 1960, he founded Shirish Patel & Associates (SPA), a firm dedicated to excellence in engineering and integrated design.
 
Mr Patel introduced innovative construction techniques that set new standards in the field. In 1965, alongside Charles Correa and Pravina Mehta, he co-authored a visionary plan for New Bombay (now Navi Mumbai), aiming to decongest the burgeoning metropolis. As chief planner, he coordinated the city's development from 1970 to 1974, overseeing a multidisciplinary team to bring the project to fruition.
 
He was responsible for iconic landmark including the Kariba Koyna dam, Calico Mills and was the principal designer of India's first flyover at Kemp's Corner in Mumbai, in a long career that revolutionised city planning, design, and construction. 
 
Mr Patel was the founder and president of Land Research Institute a not-for-profit trust. The Institute's work in collaboration with the university department of chemical technology has led to the development of a cooking pot that promises dramatic savings in fuel consumption for cooking.
 
Beyond his engineering feats, Mr Patel was a founding member of the board of directors of Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), contributing to the evolution of housing finance in India.
 
Throughout his career, he remained a vocal advocate for sustainable urban planning, authoring numerous articles critiquing and offering alternatives to Mumbai's development challenges.
 
In recent years, Mr Patel actively engaged in public discourse concerning Mumbai's infrastructure projects. He raised concerns over the proposed reconstruction of the Malabar Hill reservoir, advocating for its repair instead of demolition. In an open letter to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, he and fellow engineers described the proposal for a new reservoir as a 'fraud being perpetrated on Mumbai's citizens,'"emphasising the importance of preserving existing structures when feasible.
 
 
In 2019 while speaking about 'Mumbai's Infrastructure Woes: Is Fear-Psychosis Leading to Poor Unqualified Decisions?' at a Moneylife Foundation programme Mr Patel pointed out that nothing will change unless there is a change in procurement of engineering services. "The way government procures engineering services is by inviting persons and offers with the lowest bid. Once you do that, consultants try to compete amongst themselves to put forward the lowest cost and they stop thinking about construction with the best quality in mind. This creates a problem where the parties being involved in inspection, auditing or construction of the bridge are not being rewarded for better quality but for better fees."
 
In the same year, after a meeting with activists concerned over the traffic chaos triggered by the reckless shut-down of nearly 30 bridges, the BMC appointed an advisory committee to conduct a re-audit of all the bridges in the city that were closed at that time.
 
Mr Patel's passing marks the end of an era for Mumbai's architectural and urban planning. His visionary work, ethical approach, and unwavering commitment to the city's development have left an indelible mark on Mumbai's landscape, inspiring future generations to pursue sustainable and thoughtful urban planning.
 
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