BMC to build hydel project at Middle Vaitarna

CM Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray during a ceremony in which the Middle Vaitarana dam was named after late Sena chief Bal Thackeray

After a gap of nearly six years, the state government has finally relented in allowing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to build a hydroelectric project at the Middle Vaitarana dam. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Thursday that the civic body would construct the project on its own.

The BMC had submitted a proposal to the state water resources department for the issuance of a permission letter for the project. Mr Fadnavis assured that the project would be run by the BMC and that the power generated from it would be used only for Mumbai city.

He was speaking during a ceremony in which the Middle Vaitarana dam was named after late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.

“All the correspondence required to complete the project will be completed with the BMC at the earliest. It will be an important project for Mumbai,” the CM said.

According to civic officials, the BMC had carried out a feasibility study and submitted it for approval to the state government in 2010. In it, the consultant had recommended the installation of three turbines, each with a capacity of 10 MW, for continuous power generation. It had even set up basic infrastructure for the hydropower project at a cost of '10 crore. The civic body had appointed M/s Trigon Consultants to seek permission from the state government.

However, the then Congress-NCP government had denied the civic body permission to construct the project at the dam and, instead, awarded the work to a private company, M/s Mahalaxmi Konal Urja Pvt Ltd, in 2011.

Rattled with the decision, the BMC, at one point, was even contemplating scrapping the project. However, with the BJP-Shiv Sena combine coming to power in the state two years ago, the civic body’s hopes were rekindled.

The BMC had completed construction of the 102.4-metre-high Middle Vaitarna dam, which is the tallest in state, in record time. Water from the dam will be used to generate 25 MW of electricity (65 millions units of power per year).

The project will help in meeting BEST’s renewable energy requirement.