A significant milestone has been achieved in the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) Treated Water Tunnel (TWT) Package II project, aimed at strengthening water supply from the Hetawane Dam to Navi Mumbai. The breakthrough of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) marks a major step forward in augmenting the city’s long-term water infrastructure.
Engineering major Patel Engineering set a national tunnelling benchmark by excavating 812.466 metres in a single month in January using a 3.2-metre diameter TBM. The tunnelling drive was completed more than four months ahead of schedule, logging over one million safe man-hours without a single safety incident. The TBM cutterhead emerged at the designated exit point at Sai village in Panvel in the presence of CIDCO officials.
The excavation was carried out using the 3.2-metre diameter TBM, Tiboti Khandya, manufactured by Terratec and named after the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher. The mechanised process ensured precision, enhanced safety standards, and minimal surface disruption, making it particularly suitable for critical urban water infrastructure works.
The TWT project forms part of CIDCO’s broader water security roadmap and includes the design and construction of a 6.27-km treated water tunnel and associated works linking Sai village to Vindhane village in Raigad district. Once operational, the Hetawane Water Supply Augmentation Scheme will nearly double CIDCO’s supply capacity from 150 million litres per day to 270 MLD by December 2029, addressing rising residential, commercial, and industrial demand in Navi Mumbai.
A Cidco official said, “The successful completion of the tunnelling drive and the TBM breakthrough is a critical milestone for the TWT project. Such achievements strengthen Cidco’s efforts to build robust and future-ready water infrastructure that can support Navi Mumbai’s long-term growth while maintaining reliability and operational efficiency.”
Commenting on the breakthrough, Kavita Shirvaikar, MD of Patel Engineering, said: “Today’s TBM breakthrough marks the successful closure of an exceptionally demanding tunnelling drive and validates the record productivity achieved by our teams earlier this year. Delivering this milestone required sustained precision, disciplined execution, and seamless coordination across engineering, operations, and safety functions. It reflects our ability to convert performance benchmarks into tangible on-ground outcomes.”
Source: The Times of India
