The plot is owned by the state government and civic officials said that the process of transferring the land to the BMC is in the final stage (Archive)
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has received queries from 21 bidders for setting up a desalination plant in Mumbai’s Manori village after the civic body floated a new tender for constructing a 200-MLD plant eight months after scrapping the previous one in December 2023 that failed to attract bidders.
A desalination plant is a facility where saline water from the sea is scientifically treated by removing salt extracts and minerals to make it fit for consumption. Desalination plants are popular in countries like Israel that have minimum access to natural consumable water like rivers and lakes but are close to the sea.
You’ve Read Your Free Stories For Now
Sign up and keep reading more stories that matter to you.
“The pre-bid meeting for the latest tender was held on Monday (June 9), where as many as 21 bidders showed their interest and submitted queries. In the pre-bid meetings that were held for the previous tender, around 5-6 bidders had come forward. So this time the initial response looks good and we are hoping to get a substantial number of submissions in the final stage,” Abhijit Bangar – Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) said on Tuesday. Bangar said that of the 21 companies that came forward, two were firms that were based in Spain and the Middle East.
The previous tender was scrapped due to the lack of multiple bidders, as it prevents the civic body from carrying out the work at a competitive rate. Later, a survey was carried out by a consultancy firm and a new tender was floated.
According to the previous tender, the estimated cost of constructing the plant was pegged at Rs 2,000 crore while according to Bangar, the base price of constructing the plant as part of the new tender is being pegged at Rs 3,000-Rs 3,200 crore.
“For the new plant, three tunnels have been planned, of which two will be for water intake, while one will be like an outfall discharging the inert remains. We will pull water from at least 2-3 kilometres away from the shoreline, from deep sea,” Bangar added.
The proposal of constructing a desalination plant was first mooted in 2019 as a solution to counter the issue of growing water demand in Mumbai, which requires 4,250 MLD of water daily while the civic body is able to serve only 3,900 MLD, making a deficit of 300 MLD. This will be the first desalination plant in Maharashtra.
Story continues below this ad
The plant will come up on a 12-hectare plot at Manori village, which is a fishing hamlet in northern Mumbai. The plot is owned by the state government and civic officials said that the process of transferring the land to the BMC is in the final stage.
At present, Mumbai is dependent on seven lakes — Tulsi, Vihar, Tansa, Bhatsa, Modak Sagar, Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna — located in suburban Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Nashik. The catchment area of these lakes gets filled during the monsoon, following which water is transferred through pipelines and tunnels.
Pratip Acharya is a seasoned journalist based in Mumbai reporting for The Indian Express. With a career spanning over a decade, his work demonstrates strong Expertise and Authority in critical urban issues, civic affairs, and electoral politics across Eastern and Western India.
Expertise & Authority
Current Role: Journalist, The Indian Express (IE), reporting from Mumbai.
Core Authority: Pratip's reporting focuses sharply on local democracy and development, specializing in:
Urban Governance and Civic Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis of municipal decision-making, city planning, and local infrastructure, essential for informed urban reporting.
City Politics and Environment: Covering the political dynamics of Mumbai and surrounding areas, alongside critical environmental challenges impacting the metro region.
Electoral Coverage (High-Stakes Experience): He has extensive experience in high-stakes political reporting, having covered major elections, establishing his Trustworthiness in political analysis:
National: Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019.
State: West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016 and Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2019.
Major Assignments (Ground Reporting): Pratip demonstrated commitment during crises by conducting ground reporting throughout the Covid-19 pandemic since its breakout in 2020, offering first-hand accounts and analysis of the public health crisis.
Experience
Extensive Experience: Starting his career in 2014, Pratip has built his foundation across multiple prominent English dailies:
Started at The Times of India in Kolkata (2014).
Relocated to Mumbai (2016) and worked with The Free Press Journal and Hindustan Times before joining The Indian Express.
Pratip Acharya's diverse experience across major publications, coupled with his specialized focus on the intricate details of urban governance and a track record of covering major electoral and health crises, establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for news from India's critical metropolitan centres. ... Read More
