Mumbai’s water supply infrastructure is set for a significant enhancement with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) planning a new 910 million litres per day (MLD) water treatment plant at Panjarapur. The project aims to reinforce the city’s distribution system and ensure more reliable water availability for Mumbai and its surrounding suburbs.
Welspun Enterprises has been appointed as the construction contractor for the project, while Tata Consulting Engineers will serve as the technical consultant under the BMC. The consultancy contract, valued at approximately Rs 23.35 crore, is currently awaiting approval from the Standing Committee.
The Panjarapur facility forms a crucial part of the Pise–Panjarapur water treatment complex, which processes raw water sourced from the Bhatsa Dam. The treatment process involves multiple stages, including sedimentation, filtration, and chlorination, before supplying potable water across Mumbai and adjoining regions.
The existing plant has been developed in three phases since 1979, with its oldest section now nearly 46 years old. Officials have noted significant wear and structural deterioration due to prolonged chemical exposure over the years. Since rebuilding the ageing infrastructure would require a long timeline, the civic body has opted to construct a new facility as an interim solution to maintain uninterrupted water supply.
Once completed, the new plant will add substantial processing capacity to Mumbai’s existing 1,365 MLD water system. It is also expected to support rising demand driven by population growth and urban expansion, while enabling the gradual phasing out of older infrastructure, including the decommissioning of the oldest operational unit.
The appointed technical consultant will be responsible for preparing the detailed project report (DPR), designing the treatment system, conducting surveys and soil investigations, and setting engineering standards. In addition, the consultant will oversee tendering processes, contractor selection, and overall project supervision.
The consultancy assignment is expected to span around 54 months, while the overall project execution timeline has been estimated at approximately 48 months. Once operational, the facility is expected to play a key role in strengthening Mumbai’s long-term water security and infrastructure resilience.
Source: The Free Press Journal
