Mumbai: BMC Floats Tender For Mithi River Water Quality Improvement Project At Rs 2,100 Crore

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to intercept sewage flowing into the Mithi river at Mahim Causeway and Prem Nagar outfalls and channel it into the municipal sewer system as part of an overall plan to improve water quality.

The Mithi River Water Quality Improvement Project will include the installation of 26 flood gates between Mahim Creek and Andheri Airport to stop sewage and industrial waste, reduce pollution and enhance water quality.

Mithi river is formed by the overflow from the lakes of Vihar and Powai. It flows for 17.6 km through Mumbai's suburbs before meeting the Arabian Sea at Mahim Creek. Untreated sewage is dumped along its length.

As part of the project, BMC recruited Frischmann Prabhu (I) Pvt Ltd as a consultant to conduct research and make short- and long-term recommendations for improving the water quality in Mithi.

For the construction projects between CST Bridge and Prem Nagar outfall and CST Bridge and Mahim Causeway, it has issued two tenders totalling almost Rs 2,100 crore. 

The first bid involves Vakola River beautification, river training, sewage interception and diversion between CST Bridge and Prem Nagar outfall in Kurla for about Rs 1,100 crore.

The BMC has also decided to undertake extensive improvement and beautification of the river.

A senior civic official from BMC's storm water drains department said, "The floodgates will ensure water does not return into the city during high tide and heavy rain," reports Indian Express. 

Now that the water level won't be surpassing the danger mark at high tide, residents of low-lying districts along the Mithi river in Bandra Kurla Complex, Sion, LBS Marg, and Chunabhatti may relax.

According to the tender documents published by the civic body, the consultant proposed measures in four stages to divert dry weather flow (sewage) of about 285 million litres per day (MLD) to the municipal sewer system, which is currently discharged into the Mithi river, the report added.

For the third of the four stages or packages, BMC recently published two tenders. 

This package includes 8.85 kilometres of river beautification, including a promenade, 7.6 kilometres of sewer line work, a retaining wall, 7.4 kilometres of service roads, 28 interceptors, 26 gate pumps, and three small sewage pumping stations. Planting and landscaping will also be part of it.

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