Hydraulics dept passed proposal for construction of 710-m pipeline on Wednesday.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will lay underground pipelines from its sewage treatment plant (STP) in Banganga to the Raj Bhavan to provide treated sewage water to the latter for the purpose of gardening. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 78 lakh. The BMC’s hydraulics department passed the proposal for construction of the 710-metre-long underground pipeline, between Raj Bhavan and the Banganga STP, on Wednesday. This pipeline will be red in colour, to distinguish it from the potable water network. But the BMC, incidentally, seems completely upset with such royal demands from the Raj Bhavan.
It will now invite tenders for the project. However, an official from the hydraulics department said, “Work can begin only after April next year, and will be completed by the end of 2017, as we will get the project cost approved in the BMC budget of 2017-18.” It is according to procedure that such proposals be tabled before the standing committee to get the budget for the same cleared. However, by the time the tendering process is complete, the BMC will go in for civic polls, and the standing committee will cease to meet until the new government is formed.
Following the shortage of precious potable water for maintaining the cast gardens at Raj Bhavan, the people concerned at the Governor’s house had approached the BMC earlier this year asking for supply of treated water from Banganga STP. About 3 lakh litres of water will be supplied to Raj Bhavan through the underground pipeline network, at a cost of Rs 3 per litre, against the market rate of Rs 4.16 per litre.
About 1.5 million litres per day of sewage water is treated at Banganga STP everyday since June 2014. This water is presently let into the Arabian Sea, due to the lack of an alternate supply network. Even though 3 lakh litres of treated water will now be used for Raj Bhavan’s gardens, the BMC is still in a fix about what to do with the remaining treated water.
Despite this, the BMC does not seem too happy about setting up alternate water pipelines for Raj Bhavan. Additional municipal commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee said, “It is unfortunate that Raj Bhavan wants us to do all the work. The BMC is already giving it concession when it comes to the cost of the water, and now it wants the civic body to set up the pipeline network as well.”
The project is divided into two parts. The first part, which includes the construction of the 710-metre-long pipeline, is being done by the BMC. The second part, which includes setting up a 300-metre-long pipeline network within the Maharashtra Governor’s residence, will be carried out by Raj Bhavan.
The civic official quoted above said, “Even the pipeline will run straight to Raj Bhavan. We are making it in a way that will permit us to draw extensions from it en route, if it is needed in the future. If we can identify other areas on the pipeline’s route where treated water can be used, we will extend the network.”
Meanwhile, an extension of this project involved the construction of a pipeline up to Kamla Nehru Park from Banganga STP for maintenance of the garden. It was proposed in 2014, and did not materialise.
