Chimbai is a part of our masterplan for waterfront development and follows our earlier projects at Carter Road, Bandra Bandstand and Juhu beach. As in all these waterfront development projects, we have to free the land of illegal encroachments, stop it being used as a dumping ground, reverse the environmental damage already caused to the coastline, bring back to the forefront the natural assets like the rock formations, the beaches and the trees and  to put in place plans to preserve these natural features.

The Chimbai development plan is part of our continuing effort to reclaim the waterfronts of Mumbai and restore them to the people: to the fishing communities who need to use the space in their struggle for livelihood here and to others in the city as their shared recreation and leisure spaces. These waterfronts will allow the residents of the crowded and densely built coastal city to re-experience the openness and freshness of the sea shore and vastness and liveliness of the sea.

A distinct aspect of  Chimbai is the native resident fishing community which has been using this space as a forecourt for their occupational needs like parking their boats, weaving and drying their fishing nets and such other activities. The redevelopment plan has to harmoniously combine this living space of a resident community with the recreational public space of the suburb. It needs to allow for and encourage the intermingling of the native community and the visiting Bandraites and other Mumbaikars. 

While on one hand our design provides jetties and fishing- net weaving and drying areas for the native fisherfolk, it also features, like at Carter road and Bandstand, open spaces and amphitheatres for cultural and social programmes. The local fishing community could also conduct their traditional cultural programmes in these spaces and share it with the visitors. 

Such common shared spaces would encourage the intermingling of the visitors and the local fishing community thus integrating the Chimbai village with its immediate neighbourhood and with the suburb of Bandra to which it belongs. This would break down the segregation of this village and reduce the tendency of people to look down on them as slum dwellers and criminals. 

We have also planned for weekend bazaars where the local fishing community could serve the visitors fish cooked in their traditional style. So, on weekends one could walk in and buy fried fish, fish curry or fish tandoor and enjoy a typical traditional fish meal.  

A distinct aspect of  Chimbai is the native resident fishing community which has been using this space as a forecourt for their occupational needs like parking their boats, weaving and drying their fishing nets and such other activities. The redevelopment plan has to harmoniously combine this living space of a resident community with the recreational public space of the suburb. It needs to allow for and encourage the intermingling of the native community and the visiting Bandraites and other Mumbaikars. 

While on one hand our design provides jetties and fishing- net weaving and drying areas for the native fisherfolk, it also features, like at Carter road and Bandstand, open spaces and amphitheatres for cultural and social programmes. The local fishing community could also conduct their traditional cultural programmes in these spaces and share it with the visitors. 

Such common shared spaces would encourage the intermingling of the visitors and the local fishing community thus integrating the Chimbai village with its immediate neighbourhood and with the suburb of Bandra to which it belongs. This would break down the segregation of this village and reduce the tendency of people to look down on them as slum dwellers and criminals. 

We have also planned for weekend bazaars where the local fishing community could serve the visitors fish cooked in their traditional style. So, on weekends one could walk in and buy fried fish, fish curry or fish tandoor and enjoy a typical traditional fish meal.