Mumbai's hope lies in docklands' inclusive revival

Mumbai

IT was a trip few Mumbai residents had made before - to a smelly dock on murky waters in the city's southern tip, to see colourful art installations inspired by the fishing community, the city's original residents.

The Sassoon Dock Art Project, which ran until the end of December, gave many Mumbai residents their first excuse to walk through one of the city's oldest docks, an area set for a massive overhaul under a plan to redevelop the docklands.

Mumbai's most valuable piece of land, the docklands sprawl across 752 hectares, about one eighth of the island city. They are located along a 14km stretch along the waterfront, dotted with defunct warehouses, jetties and slums.

The proposed redevelopment of the land, owned by the government-run Mumbai Port Trust, is the biggest opening up of land in the city since the redevelopment of about 243 hectares of textile-mill land in the heart of Mum…