Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to significantly strengthen Mumbai’s water supply infrastructure through the construction of two new water treatment plants at Bhandup and Panjrapur, a project expected to nearly double the city’s treated water capacity by 2030.
The civic body plans to invest approximately Rs 4,210 crore in the project as part of a long-term strategy to address Mumbai’s rising water demand and future urban growth. Currently, the city requires nearly 4,300 million litres per day (MLD) of water, while the existing supply stands at around 3,850 MLD.
Mumbai receives potable water from seven lakes — Tulsi, Vihar, Tansa, Bhatsa, Modak Sagar, Upper Vaitarna and Middle Vaitarna. At present, the water is treated at the ageing Bhandup filtration facility, which was commissioned in 1978 and has a maximum treatment capacity of 2,810 MLD.
Under the new proposal, the upgraded Bhandup facility will be capable of treating 2,000 MLD of water daily, while the proposed Panjrapur treatment plant will process 910 MLD. Together, the two facilities are expected to handle nearly 3,000 MLD of treated water every day by 2030.
“In the next five years, several water supply projects are going to come up, including the 400-MLD desalination plant and the 450-MLD Gargai dam project. In total, the city will get an additional 850 MLD of water daily starting in 2029. As a result, there is a need to upgrade the filtration system, or else our existing facility will be inadequate,” an official told The Indian Express.
Officials said that after the new plants become operational, the older treatment facility at Bhandup will also be modernised to provide additional backup support.
The project will reportedly be executed by French infrastructure major Veolia in partnership with Welspun.
Alongside these developments, the civic body is also building seven sewage treatment plants across Mumbai at an estimated cost of Rs 27,700 crore. These facilities, planned at Worli, Dharavi, Bhandup, Ghatkopar, Bandra, Versova and Malad, will collectively process 2,464 MLD of wastewater, with nearly half expected to be reused for potable purposes after treatment.
Source: The Indian Express
