India, Jan. 9 -- Residents of Versova and Andheri West, among Mumbai's most sought-after neighbourhoods, are grappling with mounting anxiety as large infrastructure projects, traffic congestion and shrinking green spaces reshape daily life. What were once quiet, leafy pockets with a strong coastal character are today marked by noise, dust, clogged roads and fears over disappearing mangroves and public open spaces.

Despite their reputation as upmarket, celebrity-dominated localities dotted with high-rises, Versova and Andheri West share a familiar set of civic woes- chronic traffic snarls, illegal hawking, inadequate pedestrian infrastructure and a growing sense that development is outpacing planning. Since the civic polls are just days a...