Gargai dam project cost touches ₹3,105 crore

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to spend around ₹1,200 crore more — around 65% more than the estimate — on the construction of Gargai dam in

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to spend around ₹1,200 crore more — around 65% more than the estimate — on the construction of Gargai dam in Palghar district, which will supply around 440 million litres of water a day (MLD) to the city. The project cost has increased from ₹1,820 crore in 2012 to ₹3,105 crore in 2020.

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Gargai dam project, spread across 849 hectare, will be constructed in Oghade village in Palghar district along with five more villages along Gargai river — a tributary of Vaitarna River. The project involves construction of the dam as well as connecting it to Modak Sagar Dam, which already supplies water to Mumbai. Of the 849 hectare needed for the project, about 130 hectares is privately owned land, which needs to be acquired.

The revised estimate will be presented to BMC’s standing committee on Wednesday for approval. A BMC official said, “The project has seen overall escalation of ₹1,200 crore in seven years, and there are many factors to it including the yearly escalation calculations.” He added, “In 2013, land acquisition act was implemented which led to an increase in project cost.”

As per the revised estimate that will be tabled in BMC’s standing committee, the total project cost is ₹3,105 crore — this includes ₹1,283 crore for construction cost, ₹1,025 crore for forest department compensation, ₹435 crore for rehabilitation, ₹152 crore for purchase of private land for rehabilitation, ₹167 crore for a tunnel connecting Gargai to other nearby dams, and ₹41 crore for consultancy on the project.