The seven islands of Bombay were an archipelago of islands that were, over a span of five centuries, connected to form the area of the modern city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) in India. The seven islands were gradually physically united through land reclamation projects. The original archipelago was composed of the following islands:
- Isle of Bombay
- Colaba
- Old Woman's Island (Little Colaba)
- Mahim
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| Evolution of the seven islands of Bombay |
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The original seven islands
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The nearby islands of Trombay and Salsette were merged to form Greater Bombay.
The remaining islands are:
- Gharapuri Island/Elephanta Island
- Butcher Island
- Middle Ground Coastal Battery
- Oyster Rock
- East Ground
In the 1970s, the Supreme Court instituted a series of injunctions protecting the shoreline and access to it for fishermen. These injunctions, along with the creation of Coastal Regulatory Zones in the 1990s and growing environmental concerns, have significantly decreased the number and scale of land reclamation projects pursued in Mumbai.