BMC sets the ball rolling for first desalination plant

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set the ball rolling for the construction of the city’s first desalination plant, which will convert sea water to drinking water

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set the ball rolling for the construction of the city’s first desalination plant, which will convert sea water to drinking water. The civic body has decided to appoint consultants for vetting of designs for the 200 million litres per day (MLD) desalination plant in the western suburbs. Construction should start next year and the plant is expected to be functional in the next 4 years. The BMC anticipates the construction cost to be ₹18,000 crore.

The BMC has decided to appoint consultants for vetting of designs for the 200 million litres per day (MLD) desalination plant in the western suburbs. Construction of the first plant should start next year and the plant is expected to be functional in the next 4 years. (Hindustan Times)

In October 2020, the BMC had decided to revive the decade-old plan of setting up a desalination plant in the city amid the growing need for an alternative potable water source due to changing patterns of rainfall.

Environment minister Aaditya Thackeray had in October 2020 given a go-ahead to the project and had directed the BMC to prepare a feasibility report by reviving the civic body’s 2007 plan.

The 2007 desalination proposal was meant to provide an alternative water source owing to poor rainfall in the catchment areas of the dams that supply water to Mumbai.

Later in 2016-17, BMC had initiated the process to set up two desalination plants – one in south Mumbai and another either in the suburbs or anywhere in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The plants were supposed to have a capacity of processing 100 MLD of seawater into potable water. The project was later put on hold due to high cost but was finally revived in October 2020.

According to BMC officials, the plan is to float tenders for construction of the desalination plant by June 2022. A BMC official from the water supply department said, “We have floated tenders for appointing a consultant who will vet the designs prepared for the desalination plant. In June 2021, we signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with an Israeli technology firm whose work is to prepare a detailed project report for the project. If all goes as per plan, the first desalination plant will be ready by 2025.”

At present, seven lakes, Bhatsa, Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tulsi, Tansa and Vehar, supply drinking water to Mumbai. The lakes are located in Mumbai, Thane and Palghar districts. The civic body supplies 3,750 million (m) litres (l) of water daily, as compared to the demand of 4,200 ml. Dubai is the first city in the world to construct a desalination plant. Chennai, which has three such plants, had constructed its first project in 2003 that supplies 90 MLD of water to the city.

Meanwhile, the BMC has maintained that it is simultaneously also working on the proposed Gargai and Pinjal dam in Palghar district, which will supply around 1,200 million litres of water a day (MLD) to the city.