The Bombay Back Bay Reclamation Scheme, 1920s Rare Prints
A rare four-page article from the London-based Engineering newspaper of the 1920s documents one of the most ambitious civil engineering projects of colonial Bombay. The Bombay Back Bay Reclamation Scheme. Richly illustrated with photographs of heavy machinery, dredgers, and the reclamation work in progress. The publication provides a fascinating snapshot of how the city began expanding beyond its original narrow island.
The report explains that Bombay’s rapid population growth and the concentration of commercial activity around the southern docks had created severe congestion. Making large-scale land reclamation essential for the city’s future development. These historic pages offer a valuable contemporary record of the engineering vision that helped reshape the modern skyline of Bombay.
The article also traces the long history of the Back Bay project. Noting that proposals to reclaim nearly 1,500 acres from the sea date back to 1865, but have repeatedly stalled because of financial setbacks. It was only after the arrival of Sir George Lloyd as Governor of Bombay that the scheme gained official approval in 1920 and progressed on a practical scale. By 1925, the work was well underway, with the journal describing the engineering methods and equipment used to transform the coastline.
The Bombay Back Bay Reclamation Scheme transformed South Bombay. By creating the land on which Marine Drive and its famous promenade were built, along with the iconic Art Deco residential district. Large sections of Nariman Point and valuable commercial and residential neighbourhoods were created that helped shape modern Mumbai. Click image to enlarge.
Did you know – this is probably the first time suction dredgers were used in India for reclamation work.
