After remaining on paper for almost seven years, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)’s Surya regional water supply scheme will finally see the light of the day, with the authority planning to float bids for the same.
Once implemented, the 88-km-long water supply scheme will supply 403 million litres a day (MLD) of water for the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation and Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation.
Confirming the development, U.P.S. Madan, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said, “We plan to float the bids for the Surya water supply scheme project in the next two to three months after which the contract to construct the project will be awarded.”
Laying the pipelines for the project was a major challenge for the MMRDA, as it would pass through a number of areas. However, according to MMRDA officials, the water supply scheme has got all major clearances from various municipal corporations, paving the way for the project.
The main purpose of the project will be to supply water for drinking and industrial purposes to various areas in Thane district, including Vasai, Virar and Mira-Bhayandar, and a few areas in the Palghar district.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis last week had said, “We will soon kick off the Surya water supply scheme to meet the increasing demands of Thane and Vasai-Virar region.”
Currently, the estimated project cost is Rs 1,325 crore, and the project required major approvals from the National Highways Authority of India as the pipeline laying is through the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway.
According to the plan, once the work starts, the project will take at least three years to complete. The source of the water supply will be Surya river located in
Jawhar, Thane district, and the water will be supplied after developing treatment and chlorination plants for purifying the water.
Earlier, Mr Fadnavis said, “The state is looking to provide tertiary treated water to the industries in Thane district where the waste water will be purified and then reused by industrial units.”
The purification process involves the elimination of defunct components and substances that are present in the water.
