June 28, 2025: In a strategic move to cater to Navi Mumbai’s projected water demand of 1,257 million litres per day (MLD) by 2050, the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has launched a series of vital water infrastructure projects.
These initiatives are designed to sustain the region’s rapid urban development while ensuring a reliable and long-term water supply to areas under CIDCO’s jurisdiction, the planning authority announced on Friday.
A central component of this effort is the expansion of the Hetawane Water Supply Scheme, which is being executed in four phases and is expected to be completed by June 2029. According to the latest progress report, the water treatment plant has reached 41% completion, the raw water tunnel is at 8.5%, and the pure water tunnel is 25.7% completed.
To further strengthen future supply, CIDCO is developing alternative water sources such as the Kondhane Dam on the Ulhas River. This dam will initially supply 250 MLD of water, with plans to expand capacity to 350 MLD. The Kondhane and Balganga dam projects are expected to be completed within four to five years.
In the short term, CIDCO has secured an additional 120 MLD from the Hetawane Dam, sanctioned by the Maharashtra Government in August 2020, increasing its total allocation to 270 MLD. Expert consultants have been appointed to redesign and upgrade the supply network to optimise this increased capacity.
The project has also achieved key engineering milestones. Working with Afcons Infrastructure Ltd, CIDCO used Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) ‘Flamingo’ to set national records—53 metres in a single day and 714 metres in May 2025, surpassing the previous monthly record of 679 metres.
CIDCO’s Vice Chairman and MD, Vijay Singhal, stated, “We are not only addressing today’s needs but building a resilient water infrastructure for the future.”
Source: The Free Press Journal
