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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
New plant to cost over Rs 3,000 crore BMC floats fresh tender to construct desalination plant at Manori
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has once again floated a global tender for constructing a 200-million litres per day (MLD) desalination plant in Mumbai's Manori island. The comes eight months after the civic body scrapped the previous tender which was floated in December 2023. A desalination plant is a facility where the saline water from the sea is scientifically treated by removing the salt extracts and mineral from it to make them fit for potable usage. Globally, desalination plants are popular in countries like Israel which have minimum access to natural potable water like rivers and lakes but are close to the sea. Civic officials said the new tenders were floated following a project feasibility study that was carried out by the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) identifying some of the key causes because of which the tender failed to attract a good number of bidders. Speaking to the Indian Express, Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner (projects), said the previous tender was floated by using the Swiss challenge method under which an initial proposal is published based on the bids submitted by a particular party following which other parties are invited to submit counter-proposals that either match or improve upon it. 'The first tender was live for nearly a year and we had called for bids three times out of which we received response only once and that one bidder later got disqualified. Following this, we carried out a survey and the new tenders are being floated by using the conventional engineering-procurement and consultancy (EPC) method which is the usual way through which all interested bidders can submit their bids at the same time which is followed by the evaluation process,' Bangar told Express. According to the previous tender, the estimated cost of constructing the plant was pegged at Rs 2,000 crore while Bangar said the base price of constructing the plant as part of the new tender is being pegged at Rs 3,000-Rs 3,200 crore. He also said the capacity and most of the technical specifications of the plant remains the same in the new tender. 'The reason for cost escalation is that the new plan will include three underground tunnels–two of which will bring in sea water to the plant for treatment and one tunnel will serve as an outfall for the treated inert materials that will be left following the treatment. This process will involve electrical and mechanical interventions due to which there has been a cost escalation. The final cost estimates were prepared and calculated by the consultant only after checking quotations from prospective agencies that have expertise in the field,' Bangar said. He also added that the water into the plant will be drawn 2.5 km from the shoreline where the sea is deep. The plant will come up in a 12-hectare plant at Manori village which is a fishing hamlet in northern fag end of Mumbai. The plot where the plant will come up is owned by the state government and civic officials said the process of transferring the land to the BMC is in the final stage. 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. At present, Mumbai is dependent on seven lakes–Tulsi, Vihar, Tansa, Bhatsa, Modak Sagar, Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna which are located in suburban Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Nashik. The catchment area of these lakes gets filled during the monsoon following which water is transferred to Mumbai's pockets through pipelines and tunnels.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Changing City: With Carnac and Vikhroli bridges set to open in 10 days, Mumbai eyes an easier commute
In good news for Mumbai residents, two key bridges, one in the island city and the other in the suburbs, Carnac Bridge and Vikhroli Bridge, respectively, are set to become operational within the next 10 days. What is the plan? The new Carnac Bridge is being rebuilt after the old one was demolished in 2022. The old Carnac Bridge became operational in 1868 and since then has remained a key east-west connector in South Mumbai, joining P D'Mello Road with Masjid Bunder. The Vikhroli Bridge will connect the Eastern Express Highway in the east with Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Marg in the west of Vikhroli in Mumbai's eastern suburbs. The idea of building this bridge was conceived in 1997, however, construction could only begin in 2018. Features The Vikhroli Bridge will be 480 metres long and will have four vehicular lanes along with footpaths. This will be India's longest bridge, having an open-web-girder system passing above railway tracks. Once operational, the Vikhroli ROB will bring down commute time to seven minutes. Today, it takes 25-30 minutes. The new Carnac Bridge will have four vehicular lanes – double the number of lanes present in the previous structure. The new bridge will be equipped with modern-day signage and lighting. Once operational, the Carnac Bridge is expected to decongest South Mumbai roads, significantly bringing down east-west commute time to 5-7 minutes. At present, it takes 30-40 minutes during peak hours. Cost and timeline The initial cost of the Vikhroli Bridge project at the time of issuing the work order stood at Rs 70 crore. However, owing to multiple delays, the cost now stands at Rs 180 crore. The construction work is expected to be completed by May 31, following which it is expected to become operational by the first week of June. The new Carnac Bridge is being built at a cost of Rs 60 crore. The construction work is in the final stages and will be completed by June 10, following which the bridge will be opened for vehicular movement. Administration speaks 'Both the bridges had met with several hurdles since they were in the ideation stage. That is why the two projects got delayed by many years. At present, these projects are on track, and work is going on at full pace. The bridges will bring down the traffic woes in the suburbs and island city significantly,' said Abhijit Bangar, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects).
The Print
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Print
Mantralaya to Marine Drive, why South Mumbai spots that have never seen flooding went underwater
As a result, areas like Mantralaya, Kemps Corner, Flora Fountain, Colaba, and Marine Drive saw roads nearly turn into pools. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was also caught off guard after monsoon arrived earlier than its expected date of 11 June this year. And, while several parts of South Mumbai have seen waterlogging in the past during 'heavy rainfall' events, described by India Meteorological Department (IMD) as rainfall between 64 and 124 mm, several areas in the district, including Nariman Point, received over 200 mm of rain between midnight and 11 am Monday. Mumbai: Heavy monsoon rains that lashed Mumbai Monday inundated several areas of South Mumbai for the first time. In addition to record rainfall, the waterlogging is attributed to a number of civic issues, including the metro project, blocked drains, and non-functional water pumps at stations. 'We were surprised that some locations which never saw waterlogging got waterlogged. Some locations were expected, but something like Mantralaya, Metro Cinemas was not expected. We were surprised. These are not traditional flooding spots,' BMC Assistant Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar told ThePrint. On Wednesday, Mumbai suburban guardian minister and BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar visited the BMC office and held meetings with senior officials to take stock of the situation. Later, while speaking to the media, he said Mumbaikars had to suffer because of certain contractors and senior officers. 'We have spoken to the BMC commissioner, and he accepted that there was an issue with desilting work as well as the water pumps' functionality and availability. BJP will make sure that it stands with BMC and Mumbaikars and gets this work done in the next 8 days,' Shelar said, adding that the commissioner had given assurances in that regard. He said that a delegation of BJP ex-corporator and functionaries and himself had also asked for a white paper from the civic body's commissioner on the BMC's expenses on various projects in the last two decades. Reasons for the flooding On Monday, amid heavy rainfall, new flood-prone areas emerged in South Mumbai with people seen wading through knee-deep water across the district, including Colaba, Metro cinemas, Cuffe Parade, Mantralaya, Churchgate station. After the floods on 26 July 2005, the last time some of these areas were inundated was in August 2020, when, according to the IMD, Colaba saw nearly 225 mm of rainfall in just 9 hours. The flooding was particularly surprising given that South Mumbai's drainage system, built by the British over 140 years ago, has a capacity of 50 mm rainfall per hour, as compared to the 25 mm rainfall per hour across the rest of Mumbai. Town planner Sulakshana Mahajan, while speaking to ThePrint, said that flooding in areas like Mantralaya, which are reclaimed areas and have better planned roads than low-lying lying areas, was unprecedented. 'Town planning is quite neglected, as more than experts, the political class decides what to do. Climate change is a reality, and it has changed the rain pattern in Mumbai. It is complicated,' said Mahajan. Furthermore, some of the waterlogging could have been avoided had dewatering pumps, essential for flood-prone areas, been working. Bangar admitted that pumps in areas like Hindmata, Gandhi Market, Chunabhatti and Masjid Bunder were not fully operational, leading to waterlogging. 'These water pumping stations were not fully operational, leading to waterlogging in these areas. This all was avoidable.' Last year, the BMC reduced the number of pumps across Mumbai from 481 to 417, where some were not required, while others could help the civic body cut its expenditures. It spends Rs 150 crore annually on water pumps, according to the data from the civic body. Bangar told ThePrint that there will be 15 vehicle-mounted pumps available for South Mumbai by next week. These can then be used to deal with flooding emergencies as and when they arise. He also suspected that road works and their debris could be other reasons why certain spots were flooded. For instance, Bangar said debris and garbage from the ongoing road works near Oval Maidan had choked the nearby drains and contributed to the waterlogging near Mantralaya. Among other reasons, BMC is also now assessing incomplete cleaning (desilting) of drains. According to Bangar, 94 percent work was complete for major drains, but only 54 percent of the Mithi river, a crucial drainage channel, and 70 percent of minor drains across Mumbai, including South Mumbai, had been completed. The Mithi river desilting project is currently under the scanner of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police, which is investigating an alleged scam in the allocation of its tenders. Two of the three contractors were accused of the scam. 'That you know and the third one (contractor), we have blacklisted because we found erroneous practices with the contractor. And so, our pace there has slowed down and we need to increase it,' he said. However, Bangar denied that the concretisation of the road project, undertaken by BMC, was one of the reasons for waterlogging. 'Of 1,174 roads that we had dug up for concretisation, we have finished concrete work on 1,170 roads. Now, on some of the roads, curing work is remaining, which we intend to do in the next 8 days. And that work requires water. So rains won't hamper it,' he said. Also Read: How Mumbai civic body is using AI to hold contractors accountable during pre-monsoon desilting Focus on metro line Mahajan said the work of the underground metro line could also be a reason. 'While constructing the underground metro, I doubt there has been any coordination between the BMC and MMRC (Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation), the nodal agency, regarding drainage pipelines and stormwater. For the metro, it is dug up deep, so whether it is done properly or not is the question.' On Monday, the Acharya Atre Chowk metro station of the partially opened Metro 3 line—from Aarey JVLR to Acharya Atre Chowk—was shut down after it flooded This drew criticism since the second leg of this underground metro—BKC to Acharya Atre Chowk—had started operating just two weeks ago. On Tuesday, in a video statement, Ashwini Bhide, the managing director of the MMRC, said that the station flooded after 11 lakh litres of water from the stormwater drain that had collected in a pit near the exit of the metro station gushed into the station. This, she said, occurred because a combination of high tide and heavy rainfall led the drains to back-charge instead of draining into the sea. 'Acharya Atre Chowk station, which is the terminal station of the commissioned stretch, now has two entry-exits functioning, whereas the station actually has six entry-exits and work on the remaining ones is still ongoing and is likely to be completed in the next two-three months,' she added. She further said that, while there was a bund wall in place to temporarily protect from floods, it could not handle this 'unprecedented' deluge. Firstly, let's be clear — 90 mm of rain is not an extreme event for Mumbai. This is the kind of rainfall the city experiences every monsoon, every year. Secondly, isn't it the core responsibility of @MumbaiMetro3 to plan for extreme events? Because if infrastructure starts… — Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad (@VarshaEGaikwad) May 27, 2025 On Monday, MP and Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad questioned the rush to inaugurate the metro line when work was not completed 'Why were these checks and balances not done? Why wasn't enough precaution taken? How can people trust underground metro travel on heavy rain days? The government must answer, it must fix responsibility. We don't want hyped inaugurations, but basic safety and functionality,' she said on X. A day later, responding to Bhide's statement, Gaikwad said, in a post on X, 'If infrastructure starts collapsing under routine rainfall, what exactly are we planning for? The officer here is admitting that the flood prevention bund wall they had built was not built for this kind of situation… This isn't just negligence — it's institutional impunity.' Politics over flooding Opposition parties Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress lashed out at the BJP-led Mahayuti government, holding it responsible for the flooding. While speaking to the media Monday, Shiv Sena (UBT) Aaditya Thackeray accused the Maharashtra government of corruption, questing why areas like Hindmata and Gandhi Nagar, which were made made to be flood-free earlier, were inundated. In a post on X, Monday, he further asked why the newly built road in Kemps Corner caved in, how water got into the metro 3 line, and how waterlogging was reported inside KEM hospital on Nepean Sea Road. 'Why does the BJP hate Mumbai so much? Why does the BJP want to finish Mumbai? The Road scam that I have been exposing—Today we see that Mumbai is suffering due to this scam.' Thackeray has alleged corruption in the road concretisation projects, claiming that a few contractors were favoured. We are seeing absolute absence of governance in Maharashtra today. Mumbai has collapsed in the rains, and it's only May. Last week, it was Andheri Subway and Saki Naka that was flooded. Today, it is South and Central Mumbai facing the brunt of the BMC being controlled by bjp… — Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) May 26, 2025 'The State Government MUST initiate a fair probe into this incompetence,' he added. However, speaking to the media Wednesday, BJP leader Shelar said the Thackerays were responsible for the current conditions, claiming that they misruled Mumbai through the BMC for 25 years. 'Where has the money gone that was used for the BRIMSTOWAD (Brihanmumbai Storm Water Drain System project) to protect Mumbai from flooding? Why are you fooling the people of Mumbai?' asked Shelar. The BRIMSTOWAD project, which began in 2005 to improve the city's storm water drainage system, has been ongoing ever since. It included the rehabilitation and augmentation of drains, widening and deepening of nullahs, and construction of pumping stations. (Edited by Sanya Mathur) Also Read: Big win for citizens' campaign as BMC set to finally clean up Powai lake after years of govt inaction
Time of India
7 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
BMC fines 4 contractors 40L for pumps that failed to stop flooding
Mumbai: A day after parts of the island city went under in the face of an early monsoon downpour, BMC cracked down on four contractors tasked with operating mini pumping stations at key locations to avert flooding. Each operator has been fined Rs10 lakh for malfunctioning pumping stations at Dadar Hindmata, Sion Gandhi Market, Yellow Gate at Masjid, and Chunabhatti. Admitting to disruptions caused by waterlogging on arterial roads, a BMC statement said the pumps "were either not functioning on time or not operating at full capacity. This led to traffic and civic life being disrupted in…Hindmata and Gandhi Market. At Masjid…station, waterlogging for a few minutes affected train operations. Although Chunabhatti did not receive much rain, the pumps there were not running at full capacity." The corporation said "no negligence or lapse" would be "tolerated". Critics questioned the action against the contractors saying the penalty was negligible and civic officials responsible for overseeing the work were getting away without even a rap on the knuckles. In BMC's defence, additional municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar said the corporation was caught off-guard by the intensity and speed with which the monsoon swept into Mumbai. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Luxury Meets Legacy at Signature Global SPR, Gurgaon Signature Global Book Now Undo "The monsoon hit Kerala on May 24. As in previous years, we expected it to take 7-10 days to reach Mumbai. Our plan was to finish all pre-monsoon work by May 31 — we would've been prepared had the rain followed the usual pattern," he said. BMC's top brass are planning to hold a debriefing session on Wednesday with ward level officers and storm water department staff to discuss Monday's fiasco. Officials fear that debris from ongoing road works may have entered and blocked drains during the rains. Works were taken up on a war footing on Tuesday to tackle this problem. This year, the corporation had reduced the number of pumps deployed to push water into stormwater drains in low lying areas to 417 from 482 last year. However, Monday's fiasco may prompt the BMC to heed demands from ward level staff and up the number. Even as chronic flood-prone areas like King Circle and Hindmata remain a challenge, new trouble spots have emerged at such places as Flora Fountain and Mantralaya in Nariman Point. Bangar said, "We didn't see the point of keeping pumps deployed for 120 days across the monsoon, only for them to be unused or run for just an hour. The idea behind scaling back from last year was to deploy them where actually needed, not just for the sake of it." Deputy municipal commissioners across the seven zones in the metropolis have now been asked to inspect their areas for gaps and report necessary fixes. "Based on their findings, a meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday to decide the way forward for similar intense rain events," Bangar added. Along with other monsoon works, BMC this year plans to spend close to Rs 150 crore for filling potholes. The amount allocated is less in comparison to the Rs 205 crore spent last year. Incidentally, the corporation spends Rs 150 crore every year for taking dewatering pumps on rent for the four monsoon months. However, former corporator and Samajwadi party MLA Rais Shaikh questioned the overall approach saying BMC was neither making contractors more accountable by putting hefty penalties nor did it have systems in place to discipline its own staff.
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Indian Express
BMC imposes Rs 40 lakh penalty on four contractors responsible for operating four pumping stations
A day after Mumbai came to a standstill following the first spell of monsoon rains which led to waterlogging in several places, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has imposed a Rs 10 lakh penalty on each of the four contractors who were responsible for operation and maintenance of four major pumping stations located at Gandhi Market, Hindmata junction (Dadar), Yellow Gate and Chunabhatti. These four pumping stations were set up in four major low-lying areas of the city each of which are saucer shaped and record a heavy influx of rainwater during monsoon. 'We have imposed a Rs 10 lakh penalty on each of the four contractors. The deadline for making the pumping stations operational was May 25. However, they failed to do so which led to the island city getting heavily inundated,' Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner (Projects) told the Indian Express on Tuesday. According to civic officials, at Hindmata, all the seven pumps that BMC had set up were non-operational on Monday morning. Furthermore, the officials also maintained that at Gandhi Market six pumps were non-operational. Together these pumps have a capacity to channel 3,000 cubic metres of water every hour and everyone cubic metre equates to 1,000 litres of water. In 2023, the BMC declared the Hindmata and Gandhi market areas as 'flood free' after installing these high-power pumps stating that these places will not record any waterlogging in the near future. On Monday, after the monsoon rains made their landfall, these pumping stations didn't operate, causing serious flooding in Dadar, King's Circle, Sion and Matunga. 'The yellow gate pumping station which is located close to Masjid Bunder station was non-operational on Monday, due to which the entire railway tracks got inundated and train movement were affected in the central line. Meanwhile, at Chunabhatti no waterlogging was recorded. However, the contractor failed to complete the construction of the pumping station due to which a penalty was imposed on them,' Bangar said.
