CM approves Rs 16k-cr budget for MMRDA

Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the chairman of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), has approved a budget of Rs 16,909 crore for the year 2019-20. The budget allocation for the Surya Regional Water Supply Scheme (SRWSS) is grabbing attention as it will help boost various housing projects under the Mira-Bhayandar and Vasai-Virar municipal corporation.

Rs 700 crore was allotted for the SRWSS for the coming financial year. The Maharashtra Housing Development Authority (MHADA) has their township of 5,000 homes at Bolinj (Virar). While MHADA declared a lottery for their homes at Bolinj, few were interested in the same. So much so that the winners surrendered their homes as there were no water connections. The budget spared Rs 704.20 crore for the SRWSS that will help provide ample water to the 20 lakh residents of the Mira-Bhayandar and Vasai-Virar municipal corporations through an 88km long pipeline starting from Suryanagar.

The 403 MLD SRWSS will provide about 218 MLD of water to the Mira-Bhayandar municipal corporation and about 185 MLD of water to the Vasai-Virar municipal corporation daily. This is one such unique water supply system that will use gravity to supply water to its destination, saving electricity and related costs.

MHADA chairman Uday Samant said, “Presently, we have taken a connection for the Bolinj township from 8 to 9 km. But we have to check  how this scheme will help the township?”