The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed an additional allocation of Rs 21.03 crore for Phase IV of the Mithi River Rejuvenation Project after an increase in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) raised the overall project cost from Rs 604.30 crore to Rs 625.34 crore.
The proposal is scheduled to be placed before the BMC Standing Committee for approval.
Phase IV of the project focuses on constructing a sewage tunnel that will connect Bapat Nullah and Safed Pool Nullah to the proposed Dharavi Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). The objective is to intercept untreated sewage before it flows into the Mithi River, helping reduce pollution in one of Mumbai’s most important stormwater channels.
Stretching 17.8 km, the Mithi River drains a catchment area of 7,295 hectares. It carries excess water from Powai and Vihar lakes during the monsoon while also receiving untreated sewage throughout the year. Based on a feasibility study and a Detailed Project Report (DPR), the BMC adopted a four-phase strategy to improve the river’s water quality.
Under the current phase, the new sewage tunnel has been designed to divert around 168 million litres per day (MLD) of dry-weather sewage flow, projected for 2051, from Bapat Nullah and Safed Pool Nullah to the proposed Dharavi STP for treatment.
The contract for the project was awarded in 2021 to the J. Kumar Infraprojects Ltd.–Michigan Engineers Pvt. Ltd. joint venture, with a four-year completion timeline. According to the civic body, tunnel excavation has been completed and the project has achieved 96.67% progress, with only shaft-related works remaining.
The contractor has sought reimbursement for the higher GST liability after the tax rate increased from 12% to 18%, prompting the BMC to revise the project estimate.
Of the Mithi River’s total length, 11.8 km is maintained by the BMC, while the remaining 6 km falls under the jurisdiction of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
Source: The Free Press Journal
