December 31, 2025: The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd (CIDCO) has achieved a key milestone in the Hetawane Water Supply Scheme with a major tunnel excavation breakthrough, marking a first-of-its-kind achievement for the project. The scheme is critical to meeting the steadily rising water demand of the fast-growing Navi Mumbai region, particularly in the context of infrastructure expansion following the commissioning of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).
The breakthrough was achieved at Shaft-4 in Wahal village under CIDCO’s Water Tunnel Package-1, which is being executed by AFCONS Infrastructure Ltd. The package involves the construction of an 8.7-kilometre-long treated water tunnel, of which 5.52 kilometres have been completed so far. The tunnel has been excavated at an approximate depth of 100 metres below ground level.
CIDCO engineers, in coordination with the AFCONS team, excavated while addressing complex geological, logistical and engineering challenges in the Deccan-Sahyadri region. The tunnel alignment passes through difficult geological formations, including amygdaloidal basalt. In addition, severe space constraints at the site created challenges in installing equipment and manoeuvring machinery, while the movement of muck cars posed further operational difficulties.
Despite these constraints, coordinated planning and execution enabled the teams to complete the breakthrough successfully. The Hetawane project is among CIDCO’s major post-airport infrastructure initiatives and is considered one of its most technically demanding water supply schemes.
“I heartily congratulate CIDCO as well as the AFCON team for successfully accomplishing this historic achievement by overcoming several challenges. Within just a few months of completing the Navi Mumbai International Airport project, CIDCO has achieved yet another significant milestone,” CIDCO Vice Chairman and Managing Director Vijay Singhal said on Tuesday.
“To meet the growing water demand of the Navi Mumbai region by 2050, CIDCO has undertaken several water supply schemes, of which the water tunnel work under the Hetawane Water Supply Scheme is the most challenging. The remaining tunnel excavation work will also be completed within the planned timeframe. This will augment CIDCO’s water storage capacity and help provide additional water supply to Navi Mumbai,” he added.
Under the scheme, CIDCO is constructing a 13.25-kilometre raw water tunnel and a 15.4-kilometre treated water tunnel. Once completed, the project will increase CIDCO’s water supply capacity from 150 million litres per day to 270 MLD.
Source: Deccan Herald
