Mumbai is the largest city of India and the sixth largest in the world (after Mexico City, Tokyo, Sao Paulo, New York and Shanghai). Mumbai is one of the three major ports (Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai) developed during the British regime. It has additional advantage of being located along the western coast of the country and hence nearer to the Western Europe through the Suez Canal. Mumbai has a rich hinterland growing cotton and oilseeds.
The beginning of cotton textile industries with the help of imported machinery through Mumbai port and linking it with railways to the interior gave impetus to the growth of Mumbai as an urban cent As it became a focal point offering economic op; unities, people from different parts of the court’ started migrating to the city which led to the nominal growth of the city.
The concentration industries, commerce, trade and other economy– activities gave a great boost up to the process metropolisation of Mumbai. While the economy activities became an important pull factor attracts huge influx of people and putting enormous pressure on city space. Civic amenities, housing and transept system the high cost of the land towards the city centre acted as push factor to drive people to the fringe area of the city.
Mumbai, starting as a port city on a small island known as ‘Salsette’, separated from the mainland by Thane and Bassien creeks, grew up in a large city and expanded further to become a metropolis. Its initial population of 10,000 (in 1774) rose to 6, 51,632 at the time of first census in 1872 and 16,368,084 in 2001. Its present area of about 603 sq. km is more than 10 times of the area of the old city.
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The Geographical Personality
Mumbai city was initially established as a port town in 1774 on one of the islands out of seven islets formed of Deccan Lava. All these islands have been joined together through infilling and reclamation. Mumbai Island since it was first occupied to build the harbour and the port city. The island was originally separated from another northern island of Salsette by the Mahim River and from the mainland by a largely silted Thane Creek, now crossed by roads and railways.
The island site of the metropolis is protected by a distant wall of Western Ghats and nearer hills cross the broad harbour. The island is cramped into a narrow space but the harbour with its 192 sq. km of protected deep water is unmatched in the country. The island covers only an area of 65 sq. km but the Greater Mumbai extends over an area of 482 sq. km on a wedge-shaped piece of land which is cut off from the mainland by the highest tides. The whole area is a continuous built up area along the rail-road corridors.
Industrial Development
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Mumbai experienced a rapid industrial growth after independence. A number of industrial units have emerged in the industrial area of Thane- Belapur strip and Taloja during the last thirty years. They have-Sheva port on the mainland across the Thane creek serves the industrial area developed in its immediate hinterland.
The new bridge across Thane creek has provided accessibility with the south and the south-eastern part and linked Greater Mumbai with New Mums. Thus, Greater Mumbai, T hane and New Mumbai areas have developed into a large urban agglomeration.
There is great diversification of industry in Mumbai metropolitan region. Textile is the most dominant and the oldest industry. A large number of textile mills are located in Parel where the land was cheaper in the early days. The engineering industry occupies the second place occupying the area near Mazagaon. Many other industries producing textile machinery, printing machinery, chemicals, drugs, food struffs and consumer goods also dot the industrial landscape. Away from the city, the metals, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, dairying and leather industries extend up to Kalyan. The film industry occupies the northern suburb of Mumbai.
Owing to its distance from the coal-producing areas of the country Mumbai metropolitan region meets its demands of industrial power through hydroclectricity. Hydro-electric power projects were initiated in 1927 to meet the power needs of the industry and the railways. There are three old power projects of Lonavala, Nila Mula and Andhra Valley.
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The power stations at Khopoli, Bhivpuri and Bhira with total installed capacity of 2 lakh KW are the backbone of the metropolitan industrial region. Koyna project in Ratnagiri district with total installed capacity of 5, 40,000 KW is new addition to meet the energy needs of the metropolis.
The Port
Mumbai still remains the most important port of the country along the western coast. A number of docks are located on the eastern side of the island. An eight kilometer long stretch from Sewri in the north to Alexandria in the south has a series of docks. The port handles a variety of items like oil tankers, cotton, cotton goods, oilseeds, manganese, grains, machinery and constructional goods. The three important and busy docks are: Prince, Victoria, and Alexandria.
They have sufficient depth of water, a long water front, various infrastructures and installations and are served by 193 km port trust railways. This port also provides docks for the naval ships of the Indian navy.