Nerul

Nerul is a part of Navi Mumbai and is a well-planned locality. Known for its Sunday market in Sector 1, Nerul is well connected to the rest of the city by road and has a number of railway stations too. Nerul Railway Station is also situated in this locality, making it a hub of activities. One of the major attractions of this locality is that it lies along Palm Beach Road, giving residents a wonderful view of the waterfront. The locality comprises of over fifty sectors and is one of the most populated and largest residential areas of the city.

The locality has a few schools and colleges and some of the prominent ones include St. Xavier High School, SIES Graduate School of Technology, MGM School and Law College, St. Augustines High School and Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology. There are international schools like Podar International School and Ryan International School, and preschools like Little Millennium can also be found here.

The area has adequate amenities for residents, with many hospitals like Seawoods Hospital, Savla Hospital, and Millenium Hospital, and malls like Centurion Mall and D Mart in the vicinity. It is also really close to Sio-Panvel Expressway giving citizens easy access to other regions. Although Mumbai has relatively extravagant land rates, Nerul can cater to those individuals with a limited budget. The locality is primarily residential, and comes after Vashi, in terms of development, making it the second highest developed zone.

Connectivity and Transit Points

Situated along the Mumbai coast, Nerul is directly linked to Sion-Panvel Expressway and a large part of Palm Beach Road passes through it. Nerul is a planned township with an exemplary traffic management system. The roads feature right-angle intersections.

Local trains are a primary mode of transportation in Mumbai, and Nerul contains many railway stations like Nerul Railway Station, Darave Seawood Railway Station, and Harbour Railway Station. Nerul Bus Depot, located almost at the center of the locality, also gives commuters easy accessibility to buses that go throughout the city. NMMT (Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport) and BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport) buses are an affordable mode of transportation across the city.

Autos are also a common mode of transportation, although an additional fee on the meter is usually inevitable if the distance is too much. There are a couple of auto stands in the area too. Local taxis can also be found at Seawood Taxi Stand and other taxi stands spread throughout Nerul. The nearest airport is Chattrapati Shivaji International Airport, which is about 30kms far.

Major Landmarks
 

•          DY Patil Stadium
•          Brahmagiri Hillock
•          Seawoods Lake
•          Nerul Railway Station
•          Palm Beach Marg

Factors for Growth in the Past

Mumbai being the financial capital of India has triggered the growth in the region. With offices being in central Mumbai, and its other parts, Nerul emerged as a convenient residential locality. Complexes like NRI Complex, in this locality, are a result of the need for residential areas in Mumbai.

The city, in general, has a very large floating population that is created by the business in the city, and Nerul accommodates a large part of this population, apart from local residents. With the increase in the resident population, the need for amenities and recreation facilities also rose. The economic growth in the city also aided Nerul in becoming an affluent neighbourhood, with good connectivity, adequate schools, hospitals and various recreational places.

Residential Market

Property rates and land rates in Nerul was consistently high in the past, and in recent times a few projects have come up in Nerul that can cater to the housing needs of those with a limited budget of around Rs. 50 lakh. There are almost thirty-two residential projects in this locality giving prospective buyer rates that range between Rs. 50-60 lakh and Rs. 30-40 lakh for properties. Many of these projects are also ready for possession.

A 1 BHK apartment in Nerul that is around 600-650 sq. ft can cost around Rs. 50 lakh and a 2 BHK can go up to Rs. 55-60 lakh. Compared to the common phenomenon in Mumbai where small spaces have high prices, Nerul offers larger spaces at comparatively lesser rates. Apart from these new projects the average 2014 Q1 rates for this locality is Rs. 10,480 per sq. ft.

Major Challenges

The issues that commuters face in Nerul include traffic congestion, especially in Sector 1. Unauthorised hotels have also cropped up in Sector 8 of Nerul. They have encroached on the footpaths, by putting tables there, but have not provided adequate trash bins. They do not clean the footpath appropriately either. Chain snatchers have also been prowling around the locality, on occasion. Water shortage is also one of the problems faced by the residents of the area.

Factors for Growth in the Future

Nerul will be receiving eleven plots that will serve as parking lots, from the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO). CIDCO gave these plots to Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). This will clear road congestion that is caused due to narrow roads in certain areas of Nerul.

CIDCO also planning to add another connecting route form Navy Mumbai to the rest of Mumbai, beyond existing road and rail access. The plan is to make a mode of water transport from the two locations, to improve connectivity to Navi Mumbai Airport.

Navi Mumbai Airport is a proposed international greenfield airport that will come up in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The airport is planned to come up in the Kopra-Panvel region. This airport will take the load off Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, giving the residents of the region an airport that is much closer.