Mapping power
A design-centered ethnography of Versova Koliwada’s governence network
I’m working under Bombay 61 Studio on an ethnographic research project that looks closely at how local governance works in the koliwada. Bombay 61 Studio is an innovative and experimental urban solutions think tank. It facilitates urban design and research projects with public participation as the key idea, creates and has been deeply involved in developing experiential architecture and design projects since 2013.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time in Versova Koliwada, not just walking through it, but paying attention to how things actually work. Who decides what gets built? Who organises community events? How do residents navigate ownership, rights, and responsibilities without always relying on formal systems? What began as a mapping exercise has become a much deeper look into how power operates in their daily lives.
The goal is to create a clear document that outlines who the key governing organisations are, what their responsibilities include, and how they function in different areas of the koliwada. This will hopefully become a useful resource that anyone from the community or outside it can use to understand who to approach when something needs to be done.
Why this project matters
Many koliwadas across Mumbai are often classified on paper as slums. That term carries assumptions of disorder. But just after a single visit to the koliwada, it is obvious how untrue those assumptions are.
Versova Koliwada is managed through a well-organised and deeply rooted network of community groups. These include the Versova Macchimar, Karyakari Sanstha, Koli, Sarvodhya Sanastha, Koli Jamat Trust, MadhyaVarti Sanstha, Nakhwa Mandal, etc. Each group has a specific role. They responsible for religious events, others for land decisions, fishing activities, or community welfare. Each gully has its own smaller leadership structures too. All of these layers of governance are shaped by a long history and a strong sense of place.
Mapping this system helps make things visible that are usually hard to see. For people who are not from the community, it can be difficult to know where to begin. The aim is not to reduce the complexity of the koliwada but to explain it with care and accuracy.
What our day to day looks like working on this project
What our day-to-day looks like on the field is a mix of meeting people wherever they are most comfortable, whether that’s the Versova jetty, among the rows of drying fish stands called Mandavs, in their welcoming homes, or at their office spaces. Everyone we meet is open and generous with their time, eager to share their knowledge and stories. During interviews, we often witness their pride and passion as they talk about the organisations they represent or recall memories of the famous Versova Seafood Festival, the rare occasion when all community groups come together.
After each day of interviews, we return to collate the data, transcribing conversations, pulling out insights, doing affinity mapping to spot patterns, and building stakeholder and power structure maps. This process helps us identify gaps, which guide our next round of questions and interviews. Along the way, we encounter unexpected detours, like the time one interviewee invited us on a ferry ride to Madh Island for a better aerial perspective of the koliwada, or when a community panel leader asked for help brainstorming design solutions to ease crowding at a temple festival. And yes, after taking a million photos of the local cats, we wrap up by reflecting on the day, planning next steps, and checking in with mentors and Bombay 61 Studio for feedback.
Not everything goes as planned. Sometimes meetings get pushed, or we wait for hours only to realise the person we came to meet isn’t around that day. One of the surprising things we discovered early on was how undocumented everything is, despite how structured and layered the systems actually are.
We learned to approach conversations with patience and to respect silences as much as stories. Often, it’s in the offhand remarks or casual tangents that the most revealing insights come through.
What we are learning from the field
One of the first people we interviewed, a senior member of the Nakhwa Mandal. His deep knowledge about fishing rights and the way informal decisions get made was a key starting point.
We also spoke to members of the trust office, panel members of organisations, who helped us understand how land ownership here is not always based on formal documents. Instead, it is recognised through shared memory and mutual understanding.
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Another important voice was the first woman elected to the Koli Jamat Trust and a founding member of the Mahila Mandal. She gave us a valuable perspective on how power and gender interact. She talked about the importance of challenging certain traditions while still working within them. Many of these efforts are not part of any formal system but are still creating real change.
Women have not been included on the panel for the past 80 years. I have fought for the women in recent years. Now, the women have an opportunity to shape and take part on the panel or organisations.
(quote by founding member of mahila mandal)
Fishing, land, and changing livelihoods
Fishing is still a central part of the identity of the koliwada, but it is no longer the main source of income for many families. As fish stocks go down, climate change and harmful practices like overfishing and LED fishing rise, more residents have turned to earning through rent. Informal development of land has become more common.
“Versova mei 700 ke upar boat thi aur ab 100 bhi nahi hai. meri 3 thi, mere bhai ki 7 boat thi; abhi hum chalate bhi nahi. Kisi ki boat waha sirf padi hai, toh kisi ne apni bech di.”
(quote by a senior boat owner, explaining how exploitation has led to reduction in fishing as an occupation)
This works for now, but it brings with it a sense of uncertainty. Since many of these land claims are not formally recorded, ownership is known more through community recognition than official boundaries. many other borders exist only in memory. These kinds of systems don’t always fit into city planning maps, but they are very real and they matter.
There is also the question of who gets included. All governing bodies in the koliwada are made up entirely of members from the Koli community. Other long-settled groups and migrant communities are not represented. It is often unspoken, but it shapes many of the dynamics in quiet ways.
Where the work is headed
The next step for us is to build a detailed documentation of the governance structure. This includes showing the spatial reach of each organisation, their responsibilities, and how they interact with other bodies and local leaders. We also want to document the overlaps between different organisations because that is where confusion, conflict, or collaboration often begins.
Our hope is that it becomes something useful for the community long after this engagement is over. We plan to make the final version open and accessible, so that anyone who wants to work with the koliwada in the future has a place to begin.
For me, this experience has been about more than just documentation. It has taught me to notice the structures that are already in place. It has helped me understand how space, memory, politics, and everyday life are connected in quiet but powerful ways.
As a design student, this has changed the way I think about research. Sometimes the most important thing to do is listen without trying to fix or design right away. Communities like this one already have intelligent systems. Our role is not to replace them but to understand them and design alongside them with care.
This project is supported by Bombay 61 Studio. Thank you to Ketaki and Jai Bhadgaonkar for the opportunity. The residents of Versova Koliwada have also been an immensly valuable source for sharing their time, stories, and knowledge so openly, thank you.
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