Latest news with #BMC
Indian Express
2 hours 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.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Chhaava' director Laxman Utekar says he was selling eggs, opened a 'wada pav' stall at Shivaji Park during his struggling days
Laxman Utekar's journey from selling eggs and washing cars to directing the Rs 800 crore blockbuster 'Chhaava' is truly inspiring. Starting as a studio sweeper, he persevered through odd jobs and eventually became a successful filmmaker with hits like 'Luka Chuppi' and 'Mimi'. Although 'Chhaava' received mixed feedback from critics, it went on to smash box office records by earning over Rs 800 crore at the worldwide box office. Director Laxman Utekar , who has directed only six films so far, struck gold with this blockbuster. However, his journey to success began humbly—he once earned a mere Rs 2 working during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations and used to wash cars before he could afford to drive one. In a recent interview, Utekar opened up about his inspiring rise from modest beginnings to major success. Early Life and Struggles in Mumbai Laxman 's journey began in a small village in Maharashtra's Raigad district before moving to Mumbai with his uncle at a young age. On the Mama's Couch podcast, he recounted how he took on every possible job to survive in the bustling city. Reflecting on his entry into the film industry, Utekar said, 'I came into the industry by chance, and I had no backing. I was maybe 4 when my uncle brought me to Mumbai. I started selling boiled eggs outside a bar when I was 6 years old, and later I opened a vadapao stand in Shivaji Park, but that got seized by BMC. ' He also shared a unique way he earned money during the Ganapati festival, explaining how many wealthy people preferred not to leave their cars to immerse their idols. To help, Utekar and a friend offered to carry and immerse the idols for a fee of Rs 5, which they split. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Best website creation site | Build your store in minutes Shopify Shop Now Undo He humorously noted that he would even chase after cars of affluent devotees to offer this service. First Break in the Film Industry He revealed that his initial break into the film industry came after he applied to a job advertisement in the newspaper and was hired as a sweeper at a studio. Reflecting on those early days, he said, 'I started working as a sweeper for them, and I didn't really understand what work they were doing. I would clean the floors and the washrooms, after which I would get tea for the people working in the sound and editing studio. I looked at their work and realised that whatever work they were doing was very interesting, and I wouldn't leave for several days sometimes; I was never bored.' He added, 'Since that day, I have never left the industry or looked back.' Utekar also spoke about his dedication to every task, mentioning that he washed cars with complete sincerity and was even praised by his boss for his thorough toilet cleaning. To make ends meet, he took on various odd jobs such as selling popcorn and newspapers. Persistence and Opportunity Utekar shared that upon learning about Sahara's plan to establish a studio in the city, he made it a point to visit the location daily, patiently waiting by the gate. After three months of this routine, a man finally stopped his car and asked why he was lingering there. 'I was waiting for someone to get of their car and ask me this question,' Utekar recalled. When he requested to begin work the following day, the man surprised him by saying, 'Can you start today?' Career Growth and Directorial Success Laxman launched his career assisting acclaimed cinematographer Binod Pradhan , working on notable films like 'Dear Zindagi', 'Hindi Medium', and '102 Not Out'. He made his directorial debut with the Marathi film 'Taapal' in 2014 and has since directed successful Bollywood movies including 'Luka Chuppi', 'Mimi', and 'Zara Hatke Zara Bachke'. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Mint
8 hours ago
- Mint
Mumbai: Car parking lift collapses at 21-storey residential building in Borivali, one killed, another injured
A car parking lift collapsed at a 21-storey residential building in Mumbai's Borivali West area on Saturday killing one man and injuring the other, PTI reported civic officials as saying. According to the report, the accident took place around 11 am at Prathamesh Building, which is located on Link Road, said the Mumbai Fire Brigade. An official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) later informed that the car lift plunged into a 7-metre-deep pit, trapping two persons. Following the incident, the victims, Shubham Madamlal Dhuri (30) and Sunjeet Yadav (45), were rescued by firefighters and rushed to the nearby BMC-run Shatabdi Hospital. 'As per the information received from the hospital's attending medical officer, Dhuri was declared 'brought dead'. Yadav, who sustained a head injury, is in a stable condition,' PTI quoted the BMC official as saying. Further investigation into the incident is underway, the official added.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
BMC plans to build manori desalination plant with new tendering model
MUMBAI: BMC, which has floated tenders for the design, construction, and commissioning of a 200 million litres per day (MLD) desalination plant for the fourth time, plans to draw water from 2.5 km into the sea due to the rocky terrain closer to the shoreline. BMC officials said that the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) already granted approval for this. "This plant is proposed on a 12-hectare plot at Manori, also known as the Manori sunset point. This is an area belonging to the Maharashtra govt. We are currently in the final stages of it being handed over to the BMC. There are no trees on it. Water for the project is proposed to be taken at least 2.5 km from within the shoreline. A visit to the site for the prospective bidders has been planned in the first week of June, wherein they will also get an idea of the climatic and geotechnical conditions of the plot and area around," said a civic official. This latest tender follows a study by Tata Consultancy Services ( TCS ), appointed to examine the lack of interest in previous bids. One major change is the shift in the bidding process: unlike earlier rounds that used the Swiss Challenge mode, the civic body has now opted for a Design, Build, and Operate (DBO) model. Under the Swiss Challenge, an unsolicited proposal—such as the one submitted by an Israeli desalination firm under a 2022 MoU—was put to competitive bidding, with the original proposer having the right to match the best bid. This model has now been dropped entirely in favour of the Design Build Operate (DBO) format to attract more bidders. The DBO format for tendering has so far been followed in other BMC projects that are ongoing, like the Municipal Sewerage Disposal Project (MSDP) too. In June 2021, BMC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Israel-based IDE Water Technologies Ltd to develop Maharashtra's first desalination plant in Mumbai. The MoU focused on preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a 200 million litres per day (MLD) plant at Manori in Malad (West), with an estimated cost of Rs 1,600 crore. Under the Swiss Challenge mode, IDE Water Technologies—having prepared the DPR at no cost to the BMC—was granted the first right of refusal. However, a study by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) later flagged this as a key reason for the lack of bidder interest. Since the BMC cannot award projects without sufficient competitive bids, it decided to revise the tendering model. While Chennai hosts the country's first desalination plant, officials pointed out that given Maharashtra's 720-km-long coastline, exploring alternatives to reduce dependence on rainfall is both necessary and timely.
New Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Civic body's permission now mandatory to dig borewell in Bhubaneswar
BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made prior permission for digging borewells in the state capital mandatory for both commercial and residential users. A decision to this effect has been taken in the BMC corporation meeting on Friday. Mayor Sulochana Das told this paper that the decision has been taken to regulate extraction of groundwater and prevent its misuse in view of the depleting sub-surface water level in the capital region. Das said the planning wing of the BMC will prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) for groundwater use and borewell digging under BMC jurisdiction. The Odisha Municipal Corporation (OMC) Act 2003 stipulates permission from the municipal corporation to dig borewell for both commercial and residential uses. However, sources said, poor enforcement of the norm has resulted in unregulated use of groundwater in the city in last two decades, primarily due to the growing urbanisation of the city and its periphery. As per the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) report, the consumption requirement met through groundwater in the capital city has already plunged from 112 MLD to 206 MLD in a decade. The over-dependency has also affected the level of groundwater in different parts of the city with water level in Saheed Nagar plunging from 5.3 metre in 2006 to 4.4 metre in 2015. Corporator of ward no 51 Binayinee Jena, who had raised the matter with the civic body seeking formation of a special groundwater cell and appropriate regulatory norms to check misuse, said the corporation meeting also deliberated on other possible measures including use of metres in borewells to check the water uses. She has been advocating that considering the government guidelines a person should be restricted to the daily water consumption limit of a maximum 60 gallons (227 litre) to prevent water scarcity in city in the future.
