November 26, 2025: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched an ambitious Rs 66-crore project to restore Powai Lake, aiming to rejuvenate the urban waterbody and improve its ecological health. The comprehensive plan includes diverting existing sewage lines, establishing a modern sewage treatment plant (STP), and intensifying efforts to remove the extensive water hyacinth covering the lake. The project is slated for completion within 18 months.
The spread of water hyacinth in recent months has been linked to untreated sewage entering the lake, which acts as a nutrient source, exacerbating the weed growth. In response, the BMC floated two major tenders in May — one for laying a new sewer line and another for setting up an 8 million litres per day (MLD) sewage treatment plant. These measures are designed to tackle the estimated 18 MLD of sewage currently contaminating the lake.
Under the restoration plan, 8 MLD of sewage will be treated at the new STP, to be built at the now-defunct Powai pumping station, with the treated water released back into the lake. An additional 8 MLD will be diverted through an existing sewer line to the Bhandup treatment facility, while the remaining 2 MLD will be routed via the Peru Baug pumping station to the 9 MLD Mithi River treatment plant.
A contractor will be appointed not only to construct the required infrastructure but also to maintain it over the next six years, ensuring the project’s long-term sustainability.
Through this multi-pronged approach, BMC aims to restore Powai Lake as a cleaner, healthier waterbody, reduce the overgrowth of invasive hyacinth, and improve the overall environmental quality in the surrounding areas, marking a significant step in Mumbai’s urban ecological conservation efforts.
Source: The Free Press Journal
