Mumbai's Eastern Waterfront

Some information on the possibilities of changing the face of Maximum City.We lost a chance in planning out the Mill lands when they were sold to private developers.The Eastern Waterfront is still an option that should be explored.The Central Government has formed a committee to look into the possibilities.

The Eastern Waterfront of Mumbai spans a length around 30 km from Colaba in the south to Thane in the north. Within the island city, the waterfront area not only harbours port activities of handling passenger and goods traffic, but also various defence uses, along with small and large scale industries. Towards the north in greater Mumbai, the area includes the Bhaba Atomic Research Centre, the oil refineries of Trombay, the mud flats, saltpan lands and the marshlands. The part of the Eastern Water Front that is included in the island city can be utilised to regenerate Mumbai. The area is edged on the west by the harbour railway line. In the north are the salt pan areas of Wadala and the large Suman Nagar Informal Settlement. At the southern end lie the Sasoon docks and the Naval Areas of Colaba. The area largely comprises of land-holdings of the Mumbai Port Trust used for port related activities loading and unloading of goods, warehousing and container storages. It contains pools of formal and informal labour involved it the port and the non port use activities. A substantial amount of land is further leased for defence installations and large scale industries. The area is also rich in road and rail infrastructure primarily planned for movement of goods which connect to the main regional corridors like the Eastern Express Highway and the Central Railway Line. Further, there are points on the waterfront that are used as passenger terminals for inter-city water bound traffic like the Gateway of India and the Bhaucha Dhakka. The de-industrialisation of Mumbai city and the specific changes in the Port related activities of the Eastern Water Fronts can be used to give a whole new look and feel to the island city.The intensification of city`s infrastructure and housing problems along with the simultaneous under use of resources in this part of the city which include 1/8th of city`s area further strengthens the case for the port moving out. A public planning strategy for the Port and Dock Lands can play two vital roles — decongesting the city and improving its environment and opening new spaces for the mobility of goods and people; as well using the nodal location of the waterfront to connect the Island City of Mumbai with its twin city across the harbour, Navi Mumbai, through re-alignment the regional axes of economy, transport and communication.The port trust's lands stretch over 14.5 kilometres of coastline from Colaba to Wadala. They include the plot on which the iconic Taj Mahal hotel stands, and move into less lavish territory, including the long-abandoned mills of Reay Road and the half-empty godowns of Cotton Green. Ballard Estate falls into their land ledgers, as do vast tracts of Sewri. These are lands largely forgotten by a blinkered city oriented towards a north-south trajectory. While planners see this as a prime opportunity to recycle derelict land and reinvigorate the island city.Also important is the potential for offering the city much- needed open spaces, as well as decongesting the western corridor. Transport experts say if the port's rail line were to be opened up to the city and the eastern corridor re-invigorated, pressure on the western side, including the disproportionate construction boom, could ease off. Finally, there would be a whole new waterfront. Mumbai needs to open up more waterfronts. The eastern waterfront is a crucial zone that could transform Mumbai and compensate for the city’s many physical deficiencies.