BMC rekindles Gargai dam project, will appoint consultant for blueprint

MUMBAI: Following a delay of almost a year, it looks like the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) ambitious Gargai water project has got the much needed push.

MUMBAI: Following a delay of almost a year, it looks like the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) ambitious Gargai water project has got the much needed push. It has been learnt that the civic body is appointing a consultant to prepare a detailed project report (DPR).

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According to civic officials, the appointed consultant will survey the area’s biodiversity and undertake a flood study. However, the project is yet to receive the Centre’s nod.

Considering the city’s ever-rising requirement for potable water, the BMC had announced the project a few years ago, alongside three new dams — two on Damanganga river which flows in Maharashtra and Gujarat and one on Pinjal river.

The Gargai dam will provide city an additional 440 million litres daily — slightly less than city’s current shortfall of 520 million litres daily (MLD). Currently, Mumbai gets 3,780 MLD of water against it requirement of 4,300 million litres daily.

PREVIOUS TARGET

After announcing the project, the BMC had set a target of starting the construction work on Gargai river from 2016-17. But with the delay, the work is now expected to commence in the in the next two years.

A senior officer from the water special project (WSP) department said, “Next week, we’ll invite tenders for appointment of a consultant for preparing the DPR. It will also include rehabilitation plan for tribals affected by the project.”

There are about 200 families that will need rehabilitation once the Gargai dam project commences in Palghar district’s Wada area. Another official added, “Once the project is completed, a 2.5-km-long tunnel will be constructed to link Gargai with Modak Sagar to bring the water into the reservoir.

PROJECT INFO

Authorities have proposed two dams each on the Gargai-Pinjal and Damanganga-Pinjal river links, which will be constructed under the Centre’s river linking project. The proposed dams are Gargai and Pinjal on the GargaiPinjal and Bhugad and Kharghill on the Damanganga-Pinjal. The entire project is supposed to add 865 MLD for the city’s future water requirement.