September 3, 2025: Navi Mumbai residents are set to benefit from a more reliable water supply as the City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) announced that its Hetawane Water Supply Augmentation Scheme is nearing completion. The project achieved a national milestone in July, when a tunnel-boring machine (TBM), nicknamed Flamingo, completed 777 metres of tunnelling within a single month — a record for India.
The operation, carried out with a TBM measuring 3.2 metres in diameter, forms part of an 8.7-kilometre stretch under Package 1 of the scheme. Contractor Afcons Infrastructure has already completed 4.2 kilometres of the alignment. Once finished, the project will provide long-term water security for both Navi Mumbai and the Panvel Municipal Corporation regions, officials confirmed.
The July feat surpassed the previous national record of 653 metres, set at Mumbai’s Amar Mahal II Tunnel in 2024. Notably, Afcons had already outpaced industry averages earlier in May by achieving 714 metres of tunnelling in a month.
“This sets a new benchmark for India’s tunnelling industry,” said R. Anantakumar, Director – Urban Infrastructure at Afcons. “The record demonstrates our ability to deliver complex infrastructure projects swiftly and with precision. We aim to sustain this momentum in the months ahead.”
Engineers faced significant hurdles during the excavation, as the route passed through the Amygdaloidal basalt rocks of the Sahyadri range. Limited working space made equipment installation difficult, while muck and material had to be transported over a distance of four kilometres.
“A combination of adaptive tunnelling techniques was required to address these challenges, and we have overcome them effectively,” a Cidco official explained.
Cidco regards the Hetawane augmentation scheme as a flagship project, designed to meet the rising water demands of Navi Mumbai’s rapidly expanding population. Once operational, it will provide a steady and enhanced drinking water supply across the city.
Source: The Indian Express
