The BMC has awarded Michigan Engineers a project to divert excess water from Vihar lake to the filtration plant at Bhandup complex. A pumping station will be constructed on a design, build and operate basis with a capacity of 200 million litres per day (MLD). However, the initially estimated cost for the project has increased from Rs59.88 crore to Rs98 crore (including all taxes).
Areas such as Kranti Nagar in Kurla, Bandra Kurla Complex as well as Saki Naka in Andheri (East) get flooded if the Mithi river overflows in the monsoon. The railway tracks in Kurla and Sion also get flooded, resulting in disruption to local services. A consultant appointed in 2020 suggested that the BMC divert the excess water from Vihar lake to the Bhandup plant. The water will add to the daily supply of the city during the monsoon, and also give relief to the areas affected by Mithi.
However, the prospective bidders quoted 33% to 48% above the estimated rate. A civic official said, “The estimate for the project was prepared in March 2022 and the tender was invited in June 2023. During this period, the consumer value index increased by 7.93%. Also, 18% of GST was not added to the estimated cost. As per the revised estimate, the cost of the project has increased to Rs74.18 crore.”
The BMC had also appointed a technical committee to verify the difference between the estimated cost and the amount quoted by bidders. After that, a contract was awarded to Michigan Engineers. The cost of the project has increased to Rs98 crore, including other fees such as water and sewerage tax, project management and consultants charges.
The pumping station will be operational by 2027. A budget provision of Rs30 crore is proposed in the financial year 2024-25 for this work.
