December 5, 2025: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has moved a step closer to launching Mumbai’s first large-scale seawater desalination project after finalising Hyderabad-based GVPR Engineers Limited as the contractor for the Manori desalination plant. The approval came after GVPR revised its earlier quote downward by Rs 494 crore, as reported by The Free Press Journal.
GVPR had initially submitted a bid that was 26% higher than the project’s base cost. Following negotiations, the company agreed to reduce its offer, prompting the BMC to issue a formal letter of acceptance. With the revised pricing, the total project value now stands at Rs 11,166 crore, which covers construction, 20 years of operations and maintenance, electricity charges, taxes, physical contingencies, and GST.
On 4 December, the civic body also floated a separate tender for the supporting infrastructure required to channel the desalinated water into Mumbai’s existing supply network. The Manori plant is designed to initially produce 200 million litres per day (MLD), with the capacity to scale up to 400 MLD in the future.
Out of the total project cost, Rs 4,077 crore has been allocated for construction, Rs 2,067 crore for long-term maintenance, and Rs 3,646.57 crore for electricity expenses. Civic officials noted that the agreement with GVPR will be executed once all technical and legal formalities are completed. Additionally, a dedicated tender was issued for designing and constructing the conveyance tunnel that will transport the treated water.
Construction of the plant is expected to begin in 2026. The BMC first invited bids for the 12-hectare Manori site on 4 December 2023, but four tender rounds failed before major engineering firms submitted bids. GVPR, which currently handles the 337 MLD Ghatkopar Sewage Treatment Plant, emerged as the lowest bidder when Packet C was opened.
Mumbai presently receives 4,100 MLD of water daily, and the desalination plant is expected to significantly bolster the city’s long-term water security.
Source: Swarajya
