Land Reclamation in

Mumbai:uncertain future of
mumbai

Presented by
Bhakti-487
Shivani-488
Nidhi-489
Kaushik-491
Rohan-492
 HISTORY OF MUMBAI:
•  Introduction: Mumbai is the financial capital of India. It is one of the
busiest natural harbours in the country. About 80% of the National Income
generated in India is from Mumbai alone. Its cultural ethnicity is so diverse
that it often makes one wonder the peace with which culturally, ethnically,
etc different people live together. Yes, there have been records of one major
1993 riots but no other episode ever after that or prior. In fact the recent
rains which took place in Mumbai on 26th July, 2005 showed the humane
side of the city as well as the physical damage done to the city, making it
look like a group of islands again where even the reclaimed land was
submerged under water. Yet on a deep thought, the success of what the city
is today, the credit undoubtedly goes to the reclamation undertaken in the
city. No effort has so greatly contributed in rendering Bombay habitable as
the reclamation of land from the sea. In fact, Bombay owes everything of its
physical outline to successive reclamations; it is a factitious city whose
present land mass has a slight affinity to what existed before the organized
force of man began molding its physical history.
• GEOGRAPHY OF MUMBAI CITY:

• The City
• Mumbai is an archipelago of 7 islands that have been reclaimed to form one huge
landmass over a period of 150 years, although the estimates have pegged time taken
at 3 centuries!  This one island is now 436 square kilometres in area (approximately
170 square miles), and is connected to the mainland by several bridges. As a new
millennium begins, the city is spreading over these bridges into the mainland.
•

• MEANING- LAND RECLAMATION:

• Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land

 from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known asreclamation
ground or landfill.
 LAND RECLAMATION IN MUMBAI

• . The Seven Islands
• a) Colaba: whose name is a corruption of the Koli name Kolbhat. The southern tip a narrow tongue of rocky land known as
Kolabhat. The completion of the Colaba Causeway between Bombay and Colaba in 1838 established Colaba as a centre of
commerce, and the Cotton Exchange opened there in 1844.
• b) Old womans’ island: (alternatively, Old Man's Island) a small rock between Colaba and Bombay, whose name is a
corruption of the Arabic name Al-Omani, after the deep-sea fishermen who ranged up to the Gulf of Oman
• c) Bombaim: It is the third island which was quite large and in the shape of the alphabet H. To the west of this ridge running
along the length north-south, called the Malabar Point, as the Malabar pirates used to be sighted from this location. The central
and the eastern parts of the island were low-lying flat ground. There was a small hill on the northwest edge called Dongri. To
the south of this island was a shallow bay, later on to become the Back Bay. The main harbour and the nucleus of the British
Fort from which the modern city grew.
• a) Mazgaon: The name is variously spelt – ‘Mazagnao’ or ‘Massegoung’ by the Portuguese and early English writers. It has
been defined by some to be ‘Mahish – grama’ (the buffalo village) and by others to be the central village on the analogy of the
Marathi ‘Maza ghar’ (central portion of a house). There is yet another theory which says that the word Mazagaon has been
derived from the Sanskrit Matsya Gram, meaning fishing village.
• Some also believe that the word ‘Mazgoan’ is a corruption of ‘Machcha-grama’ (fish village) in allusion to the large colony of
Koli fisher folk who were its 1st settlers. In 1742, Mazgoan contained one of the six great Koliwadas of Bombay.
• d) Mahim: The crescentic shaped land was an old sand bar, known as Baradbet later named Nevale and again renamed as
Mahikavati. It was from the northern tip of this island, Dharavi, that ferry boats used to ply to the larger island complex of
Salsette. Mahim took its name from the river and was the capital of a 13th century kingdom founded by Raja Bhimdev. 1784
saw the completion of the first land reclamation project. The Hornby Vellard (named after William Hornby, the governor now
known as Lala Lajpatrai Marg.), where Breach Candy now stands, joined the main island to Mahim. By the time the Mahim
Causeway (between Mahim and Sion) was finished in 1845, the city’s present-day landmass had more or less taken shape.
• e) Worli: To the south of Bharadbet was an elongated island with a hilly backbone known as Worli. The north of  Bombaywas
separated from it by the Great Breach, which extended westwards almost to Dongri.
• f) Parel: On the east was an irregular shaped island with a broken coastline and hills on the east flanks and tidal marshes in the
north. This island, known as Parel, had vast covers of tamarind groves and prickly pears. North of Mazagaon and called by
many other names, including Matunga, Dharavi and Sion. The original population was predominantly Koli. The first causeway
between islands (the Sion Causeway) was completed In 1803.
 RECENT LAND RECLAMATION PROJECTS IN MUMBAI

•  Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA)

Enhancement in aviation facilities in Mumbai is absolutely essential for keeping the leadership of
Maharashtra in attracting Foreign Direct Investment thereby creating a place of pride for itself and add to
the prosperity of its people. Therefore a second airport in the Mumbai Region has become imperative, as
the existing airport at Mumbai, is fast reaching saturation level. To meet the growing demand of air travel
CIDCO is soon going to develop a new airport. 
The location of the proposed airport at Navi Mumbai has been considered on several parameters.
Prominent among these is the fact that Navi Mumbai is expected to absorb the future growth in
population, business and commercial activity of the region. The availability of physical and social
infrastructure coupled with environmental friendly site with minimum resettlement and rehabilitation
makes the Navi Mumbai airport project technically and financially viable. 
Department of Life Science, Mumbai University is appointed as consultant for mangrove regeneration and re-
plantation study. M/s. Lewis Environmental Services Inc. USA is appointed as International wetland / mangrove
Expert Review consultant for regeneration & re-plantation of Mangroves.
 
• 2)Bandra: Beautiful Bandra Reclamation is at  Suburb location of Mumbai  and is a very neatly developed and
maintained. Reclamation is a very special spot for hangout sightseeing with nice cool breeze ta sea side. It has
nice sitting arrangements and of course the roof is always there to seat if the seats are full. With beautiful flowers
and plants around one surely will like to spend some quality time with there beloveds and families here at Bandra.
Reclamation has lovely sunset spot and a nice view towards developing Bandra Worli Sea link project.From
beautiful flyover of reclamation one can enjoy complete sea view (See Picture Below).  Famous places near
Bandra Reclamation are Taj hotel, Lilavati Hospital one can see by standing on the bridge. College groups and
Couples are always to be seen for this kind of romantic place and a lovers point of Mumbai with less
disturbance.Monsoon at Reclamation is to be seen and enjoyed with flowing water hitting the sea rocks at the
shore jumping over you, where you can sit. Parking at Reclamation flyovers and sea shore front is not allowed.
 Geological hazards in Bombay due to reclamation

• Geological hazards in Bombay due to reclamation

• Planning in Bombay for urban development has to take into account not only local geology but also the relation of
local landforms to the possibility of inundation by the sea under extreme Combinations of high spring tides and
violent winds. Even through they are rare, they cannot be ruled out entirely. In Bombay, the sea water penetrates
inland through the estuaries and creeks and seeps into the subsoil. The water also comes down the three rivers
and their tributaries. During Monsoon, the rain water is added. All this water has to be kept under control if the
land in Bombay is to remain habitable. The Versova beach erosion, the recurrence of floods in the Ulhas and
Vaitarna rivers and the flooding of the low lying areas in Bombay are symptoms of the geological hazards due to
reclamation in Bombay. These geological hazards may assume alarming proportions if not checked in time by
proper planning.

• The problem of Versova beach erosion and flooding of law lying areas in Bombay during Monsoon.
• Versova beach erosion may be cited as an example of the effect due to interference with natural process in
Bombay. The incoming waves towards Bombay advance more rapidly through a deeper water opposite a bay or
creek than through a shallow water opposite a headland. Thus, the waves assume the shape of a coastline they
approach. The line of front of wave is modified during its inshore journey. The shallow waters of headlines like
Kolaba point, Malbar point, Bandra Point and Madh Point arrest the forward progress of the waves sweep into the
bays and creeks before being checked. Now, the Backbay and the Mahim bay are being reclaimed. This process
of reclamation is holding back the waters of the sea at these two points. Thus, the waves can only enter Malad
creek in the North. The floor of the Malad Creek shallows rapidly and because the western face of Bombay is
more prone to the fury of the direct action of the Monsoon waves, plunging breakers thrust their waters with great
violence on Versova beach. Geologically the Versova beach consists of mud flats which get eroded easily. It is
obvious that reclamation of the bays and creeks in South Bombay and the soft nature of the mud flats of Versova
beach are responsible for the Versova beach erosion.
  The following steps are recommended for future urban planning in
Bombay.
• The plan must take into account the geological and foundation conditions in various parts of Bombay.
• The plan must be reconciled with the main environmental features of Bombay.
• Drainage of the Site (Bombay) will have to be studied in detail. Since man has to fight and remove access water
from the habitable area.
• A small scale hydraulic model in which the action of moving water on a scale model of the site may be prepared
for study.
• "Prevention is better  than  cure." So proper, systematic town planning is a better solution to disaster
management.

• PROBLEMS OF LAND RECLAMATION MUMBAI HAS FACED:

• 1) FLOODS DUE TO MANGROVES BEING REMOVED

• 2) INFRASTRUCTURAL PROBLEMS
• 3) EXCESS MIGRATION RESULTS IN POWER SHORTAGE, WATER SHORTAGE
• 4) INFLATION IN HOUSING RATES, FINANCES AND FOOD SUPPLIES DUE TO EXCESS DEMAND
• 5) INADEQUATE PUBLIC WORKS
• 6) EROSION AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS LIKE SHIFTING OF PLATES, EARTHQUAKES.
• 7) DAMAGE TO MARINE LIFE AND WATER POLLUTION
• 8) SHIFT IN CULTIVATION PATTERS AND LOSS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND
• 9) PROBLEMS IN GROUND WATER TABLE
• 10) TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND DEVELOPMENTAL HAZARDS
• 11) LANDFILL PROBLEM- EMERGENCE OF DISEASES