Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) administration on Thursday presented a plan to construct a water tunnel, which will run 4.6km from Manori to Charkop and another 2.6km to Kandivali in North Mumbai to bridge the gap in water demand and reduce the city’s dependence on rainfall-fed lakes.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijeet Bangar presented a presentation during the standing committee, stating that the project will help supply the desalinated water.
The water tunnel from Manori will connect MNP Udyan at Charkop and further to Mahavir Nagar in Kandivali to merge with the existing water supply system at Kandivali from the proposed water pumping station here.
The proposed water tunnel aims to transport the drinking water produced by the desalination project at Manori, which is in progress. Maharashtra Government approved the water tunnel on July 3. The duration of the proposed water tunnel is slated to be 45 months (construction) and 84 months (operation and maintenance).
According to BMC, the project aims to bridge Mumbai’s daily water demand, which is 4,600 MLD, whereas the current supply is 4,100 MLD. The tunnel will be excavated at a depth of 104- 128 m using two tunnel boring machines TVM) between Manori and Mahavir Nagar. Mumbai currently receives water from lakes – Bhatsa, Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tansa, Vihar and Tulsi.
The project includes three deep shafts to be located at Manori, Charkop and Mahavir Nagar. The pumping station at Manori will have a capacity of 400 million litres per day (MLD). The other allied infrastructure, includes product water tanks, valve chambers, SCADA integration (for monitoring and controlling processes).
The tender for the said work was invited in three envelopes on the basis of “Concept, Construction and Operation and Maintenance” on the basis of a “Lump Sum” rate method. After the tender was floated, a 9-time extension was given, and the two bidders bid. Afcons Infrastructure received the work for Rs 1,575 crores.
Congress corporator Ashraf Azmi asked the BMC administration to be cautious about costs and ensure that cost inflation does not rise drastically, while maintaining transparency in the tender and during project implementation.
He questioned, “Why were international players not given a chance to bid or made technical parties? Are there checks and balances, where it could be inflated?”
Congress corporator Tulip Miranda raised concerns over the material used in construction and how the desalinated water mixed with fresh water will affect people.
Mahayuti corporator Ganesh Khankhar suggested the officer take help of L&T and Indian Oil, who in 2003 laid a water pipeline for Gorai to get water.
Published - July 30, 2026 09:52 pm IST