The Mumbai Port Trust official page and a second site for The Mumbai Port Trust official page.
The Mumbai Port Trust (MPT) was created in 1873, a year after the Bombay Municipal Corporation was reconstituted. The MPT was responsible for reclamations and constructions in the harbour area of Mumbai.
Large tracts of land were already reclaimed in this area by the Elphinstone Land and Press Company, which went into liquidation during the depression following the end of the American Civil War, when land prices in Mumbai crashed. In 1869 the government acquired this land for 2 million pounds, and gave it for development to the MPT in June 1873.
In 1880 the Trust inaugurated the Prices' Docks along with warehouses and storage sheds; in 1888 it completed the Victoria Docks, and two years later the Merewether Dry Docks. These works, completed at a time when investments were not forthcoming, cause the MPT to run into losses.
Business picked up again towards the beginning of the 20th century, and the MPT started on an immense project of reclamations all along the harbour from Sewri to Apollo Bunder. With these works, the Trust eventually created 1880 acres of land. At present the MPT is the single largest holder of property in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Among its present projects is the high-profile Emerald Project, aimed at environmental upgradation along the port area of Mumbai. Under this project it has recently created the Sewri Mangrove Park.