BMC proposes water pipeline for Raj Bhavan

The BMC has floated tenders and finalised a contractor for the project, who will construct a 6-inch wide pipeline over four months for around Rs 80 lakh. Officials from the Hydraulic Engineering department stated that the BMC would only bear the cost of the pipeline till the gate of Banganga Tank. “The part of the pipeline from the gate till the sewage treatment plant will be constructed by the Public Works Department,” he said.

In April last year, in a letter sent to the BMC, Raj Bhavan officials had said the sewage treatment plant generates around 1.5 million litres of treated water per day, which is being wasted by releasing it into the sea. This water, they said, could be used for non-potable purposes and they asked that the water be supplied to them at reduced rates of Rs 2 or Rs 3 per 1,000 litres. In August last year, the BMC had proposed a rate of Rs 4.32 per 1,000 litres, but later, settled for Rs 3.27.

While most of the water generated from the sewage treatment plant at Banganga is released into the sea, some of it is used by the Garden department to water municipal gardens in the area. Officials from the PHE department said they were open to selling the non-potable water to commercial users if they could organise transportation of the water. For instance, the water treated at the plant at Lovegrove pumping station is being supplied to the Mahalaxmi Racecourse. Also, the BMC provides treated sewage water to some commercial entities at Rs 15 per 1,000 litres.