December 10, 2025: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde informed the Assembly that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is expediting key projects to address Mumbai’s rising water demand. These include the Gargai, Pinjal, and Daman Ganga–Pinjal river-linking projects, along with new water reserve initiatives.
Mumbai currently receives about 3,800 million litres per day (MLD) of water, against a growing requirement estimated between 4,500 and 4,800 MLD. In a written reply to a question by Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Sunil Prabhu and others, Shinde said large-scale urbanisation and infrastructure growth have significantly increased the city’s population and, consequently, its water needs.
He stated that the Gargai project, a multi-purpose dam initiative aimed at serving the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, is nearing completion of primary engineering work and tender preparation. The Pinjal project is in its preliminary engineering phase, with a detailed project report (DPR) underway following environmental clearance.
Meanwhile, the Daman Ganga–Pinjal River Linking Project, an interstate effort, is progressing through various levels of central approval and formal agreement.
In addition to these conventional sources, the BMC is adopting alternative measures to boost supply. A desalination plant with a capacity of 200 MLD—expandable to 400 MLD—is being developed at Colaba to convert seawater into potable water. The civic body is also implementing a Tertiary Level Water Purification Project with a 12 MLD capacity to recycle and enhance existing water resources.
Shinde emphasised that the BMC is “actively pursuing several large-scale projects” to secure Mumbai’s water future. These combined efforts, he said, are crucial to narrowing the gap between the city’s current supply and its rapidly increasing demand driven by urban growth.
Source: DD News
