BMC to refurbish 15-year-old stormwater pumping stations

BMC plans to spend ₹640 crore to upgrade two storm water pumping stations and implement bioremediation at six wastewater treatment plants in Mumbai.

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to spend ₹640 crore for the upgradation and maintenance of 15 years of two storm water pumping stations at Irla and Haji Ali. With the construction of both pumping stations having begun in 2007, much of the equipment of the pumping station, into which collected runoff rainwater is discharged, needs an upgrade.

BMC to refurbish 15-year-old stormwater pumping stations

“The pumping stations are more than 15 years old, hence many of the parts have gotten old, corroded and are in great need of being replaced,” said an official from the stormwater drains department. “The pumping stations are only in use for the monsoon months of the year and are only run for 15-20 minutes in other months to prevent contamination and to keep the equipment in running condition. Because of this idle and intermittent usage, there is a need for refurbishment.”

Alongside, the BMC has also invited tenders for treatment by bioremediation technology — the process of using microbes and bio-culture to break down contaminants in sewage water to improve treatment — at six wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), namely at Lovegrove in Worli, Bapdra, Bhandup, Ghatkopar, Malad and Versova for two years.

“The Mumbai Sewerage Disposal Project (MSDP) is in the middle of constructing big tertiary sewage treatment plants so that the sewage expelled out is treated properly. But that will not be ready till December 2027,” said an official from the sewerage operations department. “In the meantime, we cannot let improperly treated contaminated water out into the water bodies and seas, as it harms marine life. A National Green Tribunal (NGT) order has also maintained specifications of the levels of chemicals that should be present in the effluents. So, in the meantime, it has suggested the bioremediation method be used to bridge the gap.”

As prescribed by the NGT, the goal of this aims to get biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) to under 10 mg/l, Total Suspended Solids (TSS) to under 20 mg/1, Chemical oxygen demand (COD) to under 50 mg/1 and pH levels between 5.5 to 9. “The work will include testing the sewage samples before and after treatment, as well as monitoring the outfall from the WWTF,” said the official.