Abstract:
Mumbai, the land of seven islands was discovered by the Portuguese (in
1509A.D.) and recognised as a safe harbour, ideal for berthing of their vessels in
transit. The islands, acquired by the Portuguese (in 1534 A.D.) and partially
developed were gifted to the British crown (in 1665 A.D.) who in turn leased it to
the East India Company (in 1668 A.D.). The islands were developed and
connected by means of causeways and extended by reclamations before being
returned to the crown (in 1858 A.D.).
Bombay, as it was then known was one of the best harbours globally and also a
highly developed city. Starting as a port city, along the eastern waterfront, the city
was known for its facilities like ship building, ship repair, trade, warehousing,
cotton industries, infrastructure, administration, recreation, etc. With time, once
the cotton industries were set up and rail line established, the dependency on
water transport reduced, leading to the eventual decline on the port. The western
side of the city continued to grow and prosper, ignoring completely the 900
hectares of land to its east, separated by the harbour line (local rail service).
Edged by the sea and bustling city on its east and west respectively, and home to
a long forgotten legacy of centuries, the eastern side of the city offers great
potential for its development. Be it the existing infrastructure laid out by the British
or the industrial heritage in the form of warehouses, defunct railway lines, tank
farms, etc., the kilometres long sea front or available open spaces, each one has
significant amounts of potential for development of the area as well as for the city.
