16 January

One hundred years ago, on 16 January 1926, leading English language newspapers published in Bombay, including The Times of India, Bombay Chronicle, and The Bombay, reported on an official debate held during a major government session in British India. These reports recorded that the Bombay Legislative Council had engaged in a detailed discussion on the inquiry report relating to the Back Bay Reclamation Scheme.

(The term “reclamation” refers to the engineering process through which a portion of the sea is scientifically converted into new, usable land for residential, commercial, or public purposes.)

The meeting took place in the Bombay Legislative Council, where members raised serious concerns about the increasing financial deficit of the scheme and the principles by which land reclaimed from the sea should be valued. Fundamental questions were formally placed on record, including whether reclaiming land from the sea was financially justified, whether such land could possess a sustainable market value, and whether public funds should be committed to the project.

Several members of the Council described the scheme as an example of excessive expenditure and a potential misuse of public resources. Concerns were also expressed as to whether the land obtained through reclamation would be capable of recovering the substantial costs incurred in its development.

During the proceedings, key findings from the inquiry report were presented, covering financial planning, engineering costs, and projected revenue from the future sale or utilisation of the reclaimed land. A number of members characterised the scheme as one of the most controversial and expensive urban development initiatives undertaken during the period of British India.

The marine reclamation works carried out during the 1920s, while not based on modern technology, were regarded as among the most advanced engineering practices of their time. The project involved the construction of robust sea walls and stone embankments along the coastline to withstand wave action and tidal pressure. Sand and soil were dredged from the seabed and deposited through hydraulic filling, after which the land was allowed to settle naturally over several years so that excess water could drain and the soil could stabilise. Where construction was intended, deep timber and early concrete piles were driven through soft layers to reach firm strata below. Although computer modelling was not available, British engineers relied on prolonged observation of tides and coastal currents, supported by manual calculations, to design the works. As a result, despite early apprehensions, the reclaimed areas gradually stabilised and, in subsequent decades, came to be regarded among the most valuable urban real estate in the world.

At the time, reclaiming land from the sea for urban and commercial use was considered a novel and unconventional idea. Many viewed it as expensive, risky, and administratively complex. However, later developments demonstrated that the scheme fundamentally transformed the city, led to exceptional increases in land values, and contributed significantly to Bombay’s emergence as a globally important centre of real estate and economic activity.

What was once seen as an administrative burden later became the city’s greatest asset. Land reclaimed from the sea went on to shape its economic identity, carrying institutions, homes, and values that define the city today.

Although initially regarded as an administrative and financial concern, the reclaimed lands later became some of the city’s most valuable urban properties and formed the foundation of its international economic identity. Areas such as Nariman Point, Marine Drive, Cuffe Parade, Colaba, and Churchgate are all situated on land reclaimed from the sea and today accommodate major financial institutions, corporate headquarters, high rise residential buildings, and some of the most expensive urban properties in Asia.