Even though the State Wildlife Board gave the long-awaited Gargai dam project a crucial boost on Thursday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) still needs to wait for three significant approvals before starting the bidding process. The Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM), the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC), and the National Wildlife Board still need to approve the project, which is intended to strengthen Mumbai’s water supply.
Initially mooted in 2015 to address the city’s growing water demand, the project was championed by then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. However, it stalled after the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government came to power, citing environmental concerns. The Gargai dam, slated to be constructed within the ecologically sensitive Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary, is expected to add 440 million litres per day (MLD) to Mumbai’s civic water supply. Currently, the city’s seven reservoirs supply 3,950 MLD against an actual daily demand of 4,505 MLD. With projections indicating a spike to 6,535 MLD by 2041, the dam is one of four major supply projects envisioned to future-proof Mumbai’s water infrastructure.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presided over a meeting of the State Wildlife Board that cleared the way for a number of infrastructural projects, including Gargai. Of the 844 hectares designated for the project, 652 hectares are located within the Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary’s protected forest area, under the approved proposal. However, the ecological impact is severe, with over 3.1 lakh trees across 79 species projected to be damaged.
Despite this, key approvals remain pending. A senior BMC official confirmed to The Indian Express that tendering will only begin once all three necessary clearances are received — the National Wildlife Board nod and FAC permission from the Centre, and FDCM approval from the Maharashtra government. The official further explained, “Since the project lies in a protected wildlife area, it must clear both state and national wildlife board procedures. While we’ve received the state approval, the proposal will be sent to the National Wildlife Board next week.”
The FAC approval is necessary to divert forest land for non-forest purposes. Meanwhile, the FDCM nod concerns the acquisition of more than 400 hectares in Palghar district, where over 600 families from nearly six villages will be resettled. These families, whose homes lie within the project’s impact zone in Wada taluka, will receive residential plots as well as farmland to support their livelihoods.
BMC officials estimate that it will take about three years to build the dam, including its main wall and an intricate system of water pipelines, once all permits are obtained. As a vital component in guaranteeing long-term water security for India’s financial capital, the project is being attentively monitored.
Source: The Indian Express
