History

The city of Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, first consisted of seven islands that were separated by swamps.  These islands were first part of the Magadhan empire around a thousand years ago.  They subsequently became a territory of the Sultan of Gujarat in 1343.  When the Portuguese captured the islands in 1534, they named the area Bom Bahia, which means 'the good bay' in English (the English pronunciation was Bombay).  Mumbai was established as a trading center by the Portuguese, and it grew due to the trade of products including silk, rice, cotton, and tobacco.  In 1662, Mumbai was given to King Charles II of England as a wedding gift from his bride's father.  The King did not want the burden of ruling Bombay, so he had the East India Company rent the islands instead.  Under the East India Company, Governor Gerald Aungier changed the face of this port city.  People were allowed to buy land and build their own houses under the notion that this was a city that was meant to be built under God's assistance.  Also built were forts, a castle, a church, a hospital, and causeways linking the islands.  As settlers arrived, the population grew to nearly 60,000 by 1675.  The 1688 Mughal attack of Mumbai resulted in a large decrease in population size, as much of the city was destroyed.  However, by the end of the 1700’s, Mumbai became known as “The Gateway to India” as it grew tremendously due to trade and employment opportunities.  Jewelers, weavers, ironsmiths, planters, and servants came to be abundant.  The swamps that separated city’s seven islands were filled in by 1845, creating a single island.  Additional change occurred when the first Indian railway opened, which offered a new form of employment and attracted more citizens to the city.  As time progressed, the East India Company created government buildings throughout the city.  The population continued to increase, and by 1991 it was 9,900,000.  In 1995, the city name was changed from Bombay to Mumbai, which is derived from Mumbadevi, the stone goddess of the ancient deep-sea fishermen of the islands.  

Sources:

http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/trading/bombay/history.html

http://sistercities.lacity.org/html/05.htm

Economy

Mumbai is the home of India’s leading industrial, financial, and commercial centers.  A city once dependent on the textile industry, Mumbai has transformed into a diversified city with industries ranging from automobile manufacturing, metals, petrochemicals, electronics, and food processing.  Mumbai is the headquarters of some of India’s largest businesses, such as the Aditya Birla Group, Godrej, and Tata & Sons.  Mumbai is also the capital of the colorful Bollywood film empire, which produces the most movies in the world.  The importance of Mumbai’s economy to India’s economy as a whole is extremely important.  On average it accounts for 10 percent of aggregate employment provided in factories in India as well as 40 percent of entire income taxes collected out of India.

Mumbai is also the financial and commercial banking capital of India.  The Reserve Bank of India, the Mumbai Stock Exchange, and a variety of other major financial institutions call Mumbai home.

The financial prosperity of Mumbai is being significantly hampered by its ever growing population.  The city is rated among the worst in India in terms of housing, cost of living, education, and health care.

Sources:  

http://www.city-data.com/world-cities/Mumbai-Bombay-Economy.html
http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/major-world-cities/mumbai-economy.html

Housing

            According to economists at the global property guide, apartments in Mumbai are among the most expensive in the developing world. The cost of rental is approximately $9000 per square meter annually which comes out to approximately $3000 a month for an average apartment. This is unaffordable for citizens of a country where the average GDP per capita is only about $720. Some of the most highly paid workers make only $3500 still leaving them far from being able to afford one of these apartments.

            These intense prices are partially fueled by a huge demand for housing. According to government statistics nearly 60% of the population of Mumbai lives in its slums. This value is increasing continuously as many rural people are migrating to the city. Many doing so only to find themselves sleeping on the streets. (Pictured).

            The conditions within the slums are almost unlivable. Navigation to the slums is done across wooden planks and poorly paved roads that lead through a maze of huts and other primitive buildings. The poorest have only tarps to cover their heads. Beds in the slums are often slept on in shifts since it is too great a resource for only one person to use.

            Overall affordable housing is one of Mumbai's most serious problems. It is being addressed slightly by the government through various projects that attempt to help the people living in the slums such as a computer course offered by some of the politicians in the city. Unfortunately the effects of these types of projects are only felt by amount of the population. The private sector also has its solutions to the slums. Some people want to completely demolish the slums and replace them with housing that will be made accessible to the slum residents in an affordable manner by relying on private investment.

Sources:
http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-19707-12.html

http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,469031,00.html 

http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/investment-analysis/Mumbai-housing-is-the-priciest-in-the-developing-world 

Bollywood

Mumbai, India is home to Bollywood, which is currently known as the largest film industry in the world. It is the world's movie capital! Bollywood was created by a combination of the United States (Hollywood) and by conflating bombay which is known today as Mumbai. All Bollywood movies are in Hindu and are available with subtitles. Bollywood stars are extremely popular and they all seem to have a tremendous amount of paparazzi following their every move. Also, Bollywood stars are also very high paid according to budgets of films.

Bollywood films are funded from large studios and private distributors that are able to contribute a substantial amount of money. Also, banks are now allowed to lend money for movie budgets as it was once a forbidden task.

All Bollywood movies are meant to entertain their audience throughout every kind of movie genre, that are all squeezed into one. These movies feature elaborate sequences of dancing and song choice. The costumes of all characters are very colorful and the idea is for everyone to have a good time and enjoy themselves. Although their movies are not at the same level as Hollywood movies are; their soul purpose is to entertain and help the audience escape any hardships of life for three hours. A Bollywood movie always ends with a happy ending.

Sources:

• http://www.bollywoodworld.com/whatisbollywood/
• http://geography.about.com/od/culturalgeography/a/bollywood.htm

Population

 

A mass of people waiting for a bus in the overcrowded city center.

Mumbai is the third largest city in the world and has one of the most rapid rates of growth today. There is a population of 9.9 million in the city and a total of 15.4 million when suburbs are included. The people of this city are very culturally and religiously diverse, especially since many residents have migrated from central and western India for work opportunities. At 69% of the population, Hindu is the dominant religion, followed by Muslim at 14%, Sikh at 7% and at less than 10% each, a mixture of Christians, Jains and Buddhists. In terms of language, Mumbai is also unique. The official language of the region, Marathi, is only spoken by less than half of the population. Gujarati and English are the second and third most popular, but there are over sixteen languages, mostly of India, spoken by people in Mumbai altogether.

An example of a Hand Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak.

With so many different people in such a concentrated area, overcrowding and spread of disease are two major problems the city is plagued with.

         Currently, there is an outbreak of the hand foot and mouth disease virus that is plaguing children across Mumbai. This virus causes high fever and outbreaks of blisters and rashes on the mouths hands and feet of infants and small children. The spread of this contagious disease is facilitated by the overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions of residents of slums.

        A shocking example of the slum problem is Dharavi, the largest slum in the area, and often referred to as the largest slum in all of Asia. One statistic claimed that “as many as 18,000 people crowd into a single acre”. With such close quarters, supplies are limited and disease runs rampant. Further, since many of the people living in slums are there illegally they are not given full legal access to public services or medical care. They are at the mercy of the crooks in the city to provide them with necessities like clean water at astronomical and oftentimes unaffordable prices. There has been talk in the government of taking measures to tackle this slum problem, which has been named one of Mumbai’s most serious issues, but it is impossible to do so without adequate funding or land area.

Sources:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/05/dharavi-mumbai-slum/jacobson-text

http://www.city-data.com/world-cities/Mumbai-Bombay-People.html

http://www.healthylivingindia.org/2010/10/hand-foot-and-mouth-disease-in-mumbai.html

Brunn, Stanley D., Jack Francis Williams, and Michael E. Bonine. "Cities of South Asia." Cities of the world: world regional urban development. 4 ed. New York: Harper & Row, 1983. 411. Print.

Transportation in Mumbai

Mumbai, India is a fast paced place where many put their lives on the line in order to reach their destinations.  According to The UK Times, Mumbai is home to the most deadly urban railway network in the world, where more than 3,500 people lose their lives annually.  Most deaths are attributed to trespassing on the rails.  Though the tracks are very dangerous, the Indian rail authorities are taking steps to improve their rail system.  Sophisticated sensors and automatic anti-collision detection systems control train speeds as well as stop a fully loaded train in case of an emergency.   

Environmental Issues

The key environmental issues that Mumbai has suffered from are largely due to the great influx from migrants both internally and externally. Subsequently, issues that have arisen from migration on a larger scale have contributed to unsafe water management conditions as well as water scarcity. State water quality tests taken haven shown that seventy percent of water locations have worsened their water quality conditions and the overall qualities of Mumbai's rivers have greatly deteriorated, posing great risks to the marine animals that inhabit these rivers.

Contributing to air pollution, arises the issue of waste management in the city. Currently, the city produces an estimated 5,000 tons of garbage a day, and as the dumps partake in burning during the evenings, the particulates released into the air have proven to expose the city to high levels of toxic chemicals. Consequently, the city has been known to have a high incidence of respiratory problems among its population with many specifically suffering from chronic bronchitis. Along with dumps contributing to the already poor air quality, chemical industries have been alleged to release noxious chemicals at night. Along with car exhausts, and the emissions released from industrial parks, the air quality of Mumbai has been compared to smoking 20 cigarettes a day.

With these issues in mind, it is important to understand how they affect the millions of inhabitants, specifically those below the poverty line. The United Nations projects Mumbai's population to grow to an approximate 27.4 million by 2015, but currently it is estimated that forty percent of those below the poverty line die from water-borne diseases as well as almost half of the poor dying from respiratory diseases. It has also been recognized that due to the location of many of Mumbai's industrial zones, industries have dumped hundreds of thousands of tons of hazardous waste onto public land, where most of these poor inhabitants have taken residence and consequently polluted the land and bodies of water which they live on.

Though the future of Mumbai as well as its current and future inhabitants seems grim, the Indian government as taken notice to the deteriorating condition of the land. A private project known as Vision Mumbai has developed changes in pollution control, seeking 1 billion dollars in aid from the Indian government, providing some solutions in alleviating the severe environmental conditions in Mumbai.

Sources:

• http://www.city-data.com/world-cities/Mumbai-Bombay-Environment.html
• http://www.scribd.com/doc/26498900/Environmental-Issues-Mumbai-PDF
• http://immenceintense.blogspot.com/2008/04/25-dirtiest-cities-in-world.html