Conclusion
The map of the islands of Bombay made by the French navigator Bellin shows a snapshot of the time in which it was created. We can see evidence of the control through colonialism the Europeans had over the space through the naming, the motivations for making and using the map, and the decisions to include specific details and exclude other descriptions in the map. Later, the European powers changed the physical space, again exerting control, through the reclamation projects and in turn changing the maps of the space. One can see through this period, how the projects and the colonializers profoundly changed the city; through deliberate control of the land the area became separate, small, port islands connected by swamps to the vibrant city it is today. Modern day Mumbai is a megacity that fits 12 million people on 233 square miles of land. Mumbai faces challenges of extreme population density and severe flood risk (monsoons hit once or twice a year and parts of the city go under water). The reminder of Mumbai’s waterous path is evident on current day maps where landlocked places are named “creek” and “foot wash” [1].
[1] Perur, Srinath. “Stories of cities #11: the reclamation of Mumbai – from the sea, and its people?” The Guardian. Cities: The story of cities. March 30, 2016.