Seven Islands of Bombay

The seven islands of Bombay were an archipelago of islands that were, over a span of five centuries, connected to form the area of the modern city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) in India. The seven islands were gradually physically united through land reclamation projects. The Seven Islands were the site of a Portuguese trading post that was made over to England under this title as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza, married to Charles II in 1661.

The original archipelago was composed of the following islands:

1. Isle of Bombay 2. Colaba 3. Old Woman's Island (Little Colaba) 4. Mahim 5. Mazagaon 6. Parel 7. Worli

Evolution of the seven islands of Bombay

• 
  The original seven islands
• 
  Map of Bombay in 1893
• 
  Map of Bombay in 1924
• 
  Map of Mumbai in 2009

The nearby islands of Trombay and Salsette were merged to form Greater Bombay.

The remaining islands are:

• Gharapuri Island/Elephanta Island
• Butcher Island
• Middle Ground Coastal Battery
• Oyster Rock
• East Ground

The length of Mithi river got extended up to Mahim bay in west Mumbai. Earlier Mithi river was emptying in to the sea towards mainland (east of Mumbai). The merging of islands have taken place without concern for storm water drainage which is the cause of frequent flooding in Mumbai city.

In the 1970s, the Supreme Court instituted a series of injunctions protecting the shoreline and access to it for fishermen. These injunctions, along with the creation of Coastal Regulatory Zones in the 1990s and growing environmental concerns, have significantly decreased the number and scale of land reclamation projects pursued in Mumbai.

External links

• The Seven Islands: Mumbai
• The case for offshore airports