The Port, coupled with the Railways, engineering industry and textile mills led to Mumbai gradually developing into a metropolis. However, as Mumbai's economy moved to a post-modern era, the mills turned into swanky business districts while engineering industries in the eastern suburbs made way for housing and commercial projects.
The Mumbai Port, which once provided employment in blue and white collar jobs and led to the emergence of legendary trade unionists like Placid D'Mello (PD'Mello), too has seen a gradual decline in its fortunes with traffic shifting to JNPT and Gujarat.
It was the Karanja-born Laxman Harishchandra (Bhau) Ajinkya, from the Pathare Prabhu community, who got a contract from the British to construct Bhau Cha Dhakka, Mumbai's first wet dock which was completed in 1841. The Sassoon Docks were built in 1875 on reclaimed land by David Sassoon and Company owned by Albert Abdullah David Sassoon. Developments like Bori Bunder (1852), Elphinstone Docks (1858), Princess Docks (1880), Victoria Docks (1888) and Alexandra Docks (1914) followed.
Mumbai historian Deepak Rao noted that the docks helped export of goods like opium to China and cotton to Britain, which led to communities like the Parsis flourishing. The cotton trade led to the crop being planted in areas like Vidarbha, thus leading to a deep economic and social impact on Maharashtra.
Mumbaicha Vruttanta by Balkrishna Bapu Acharya and Moro Vinayak Shingane notes that the Sassoon Docks saw a steady traffic of steamers and boats bringing goods but the vessels faced problems while coming inside the harbour so the David Sassoon Company purchased the land from the Backbay company and built a jetty and dock to tide over the problem. This was later bought by the Port trust .
History
1841
Bhau Cha Dhakka is Mumbai’s first wet dock.
It’s construction contract was given to Laxman Harishchandra (Bhau) Ajinkya by the British.
1875
Sassoon Docks was built on reclaimed land by David Sassoon & Company
Exports from here included opium to China and cotton to Britain
