New Bombay
'New Bombay is a satellite twin of the city of Bombay, India. It is a city of its own, but is dominated by its neighbour Mumbai. New Bombay lies on the mainland on the eastern seaboard of the Thane Creek. The city limits stretches from Airoli near Thane in the north, to Uran in the south. The length of the city is almost the same as Bombay. The Vashi Bridge connects New Bombay to Bombay.
Planned City
New Bombay was created in the 1970s to cater to the rising demand in real estate. Since Mumbai was an island, development could only take place up to a certain limit. New Bombay was carefully planned keeping in mind the population boom of the future. The area is divided into sectors. Residential areas include that of Vashi and Nerul. The main business district is Belapur CBD. Vashi too has a lot of commercial institutions including a mall.
Location
New Bombay is part of two districts of Maharashtra; Thane and Raigad. The region is hilly in some parts. Parts of the region are also protected wetlands. Unlike its bigger neighbour, the city is sparsely populated. Its coordinates are 73° E; 20° N.
History
The region was part of the kingdom of Ashoka and then various Hindu rulers of the Silhara dynasty until 1343, when it was annexed by the kingdom of Gujerat.
In 1534 the Portuguese took the region from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. It remained in their hands until 1661, when it ceded as the dowry of Catherine de Braganza to Charles II of England. He, in turn leased it to the British East India Company in 1668 for £10 per annum.
The region remained undeveloped until the 1970s when the real estate boom began.
People
Residents of this city often call themselves as Bombayites or Mumbaikars. However as their residence is out of the municipal limits of Bombay, they are technically incorrect. Most of the residents work in Bombay. Since the region shares the same area code as the city, not many are aware that they are dwellers of an independent city.
Transportation
The most common transportation is the red NMMT buses, similar to the BEST buses. Auto rickshaws are also a popular mode of transport. Mumbai's suburban railway network also covers most of the populated region of the city. The most important external railway station of this region is Panvel. The station is planed as a major railway junction. Most trains plying on the Konkan Railway stop here so that those passengers destined to reach Mumbai may alight. These trains bypass the island city altogether. Future plans include linking the station to Pune to cut travel time between Bombay and Pune.
Commerce
Most of the software companies in Maharashtra have their offices in New Bombay. The government of Maharashtra has also setup software parks to cater to the growing demand. Many large institutions also have their offices here. The Reliance group of industries are headquartered in Kopar Kairne. Other prominent companies include Digit Computer Magazine. The wholesale vegetable market in Bombay has been shifted to Vashi.
Infrastructure
The city has an almost 24hr electric supply, though it is not as fortunate as its bigger brother, as far as power cuts are concerned. The city has numerous flyovers, broad roads, and parking lots. Housing here is much cheaper than Bombay. The main problem facing the residents is the poor connectivity with Bombay with only two road links between the two cities, and a single rail line.
