The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) seems to be inclined towards the desalination plant more than the Gargai dam, despite criticism of its high production cost. The reservoir project had been pushed strongly under the Devendra Fadnavis government, however, the BMC has set it aside and for all the right reasons.
The Manori desalination plant will provide the city with only 200 million litres of water per day, half of the dam’s expected output. However, it will also save us from losing massive green cover, whereas the Gargai dam project would cost us four lakh trees at Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary.
The BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said that lakhs of trees need to be cut for Gargai dam. A desalination project is an environment-friendly option, and that is why we are eagerly working on it. Further clarifying, BMC official stated that water output at the plant could be doubled gradually, but we will not get back lost forest.
Meanwhile, the environmentalists have also appreciated the decision. The Shiv Sena-led government stopped the construction of the Metro car shed at Aarey to protect around 3,000 trees. For Gargai, four lakh trees would have to be razed, and it may harm the government’s image as a pro-environment.
So, the BMC has diverted its focus on the desalination plant at Manori and is in a hurry to appoint a consultant for the INR 3,5000 crores project. For the Manori plant, Chahal has proposed only INR 5 lakh as a token amount, but the standing committee and corporation house have given in-principle nod. The detailed survey report will be ready within eight months and the project completion will take 30 months.
The city gets 3,800 MLD from seven reservoirs, and the corporation decided to build three more dams - Gargai (440 MLD), Pinjal (865 MLD) and Damanganga-Pinjal River link project (1,586 MLD) to increase the supply by 2,891 MLD by 2050. Work on Gargai dam was in full swing before the COVID-19 lockdown and the plan was to build it by 2025 but, only INR 3.5 crores provision was announced for the INR 4,000 crores project in the Budget 2021-22.
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