Mumbai Key Facts Quiz

Mumbai Key Facts

• Mumbai is India's largest city with a population of over 20 million people.
• By 2020, it is estimated to have a population of 24 million people with the highest population density of any city in the world.
• Located on the West coast of India, the city faces an inevitable strain on its urban infrastructure.

Mumbai as a World City

• Mumbai is the financial centre of India and home to the popular Bollywood movie industry.
• The city developed as a trade centre, selling local goods such as gold, jewellery, and textiles.
• In the 17th century, the British Empire established itself in Mumbai, leading to the regular shipment of raw cotton to England for manufacturing.
• Mumbai has a natural deep-water harbour, which contributed to its rapid development following independence from the British in 1947.
• The city has a high-rise, modern architecture, the Bombay Stock Exchange, tarred roads, and a boom in manufacturing and services.
• In 2015, Mumbai accounted for 33% of India's income tax, 6.16% of GDP, 25% of industrial output, and 40% of foreign trade.

Economic and Social Well-being

• Mumbai's population has nearly doubled since 1991, largely due to the influx of migrants from other parts of India seeking better employment opportunities.
• The city is very diverse, with 16 major languages spoken, and faces issues such as poverty and inequality.
• Around 60% of Mumbaikars live in slums, and the average Indian would need to work for 3 centuries to pay for a luxury home in Mumbai.

Dharavi Slum

• Dharavi is the most famous informal slum in Mumbai, brought to attention by the Oscar-winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire' in 2008.
• The area was initially a swamp inhabited by Koli fishermen, which was later filled with waste, leaving the Koli people without fishing grounds.
• The land was used for various industries, including tanneries, potters' colony, and textiles, resulting in a diverse city.
• Cottage and micro-industries in Dharavi produce over $650m annually, but living and working conditions remain poor.
• The area has the highest population density in the world, with over 300,000 people per square kilometre, and lacks basic infrastructure.

Dharavi Redevelopment Project

• The government-led project aims to provide residents who can prove residency since 2000 with a new, 300 sqft house for free.
• However, the project may result in the loss of community networks and businesses that have built up in the area.

Physical Environmental Conditions: Flooding

• Mumbai has a tropical climate with heavy rainfall between June and September.
• The 2005 flood, which brought 944mm of rainfall, caused devastation to the city, resulting in over 400 deaths, 10,000 destroyed homes, and losses of £1.2 billion.
• Urban growth is partly to blame for the flood, as there was nowhere for the rainwater to drain.