Mumbai: The BMC has completed 21% of the construction work on the sewage treatment plant (STP) at Bandra West, near the Sea Link, with plans to commission it by July 2027. Once completed, the plant will have the capacity to treat 360 million litres (ML) of sewage water daily, reaching both secondary and tertiary treatment levels. The BMC plans to repurpose the treated water for non-potable uses with an aim to reduce dependency on potable water.
As part of BMC's initiative to upgrade seven STPs in Mumbai, Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, along with senior officials, reviewed the Bandra West plant's progress on Saturday. He inspected the project model and viewed a virtual representation through Virtual Reality Glasses. He assessed the construction, including the marine outfall and a newly established containerised STP with a daily capacity of 250 kilolitres.
File Photo
"The construction work of the plant will continue during the monsoon seasons of 2025 and 2026, ensuring that the project will be completed within the stipulated timeline," said Shashank Bhore, Deputy Muncipal Commissioner (Enginnering).
Rajesh Tamhane, chief engineer (Mumbai Sewerage Project) said "Approximately 265 trees that were affected by the project have been successfully transplanted to areas like Malad and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Since the commencement of the project, a total of around 17.7 lakh man-hours of work have been completed. A team of approximately 125 engineers, including 100 engineers from the contractor, 15 consultants, and 10 municipal engineers, works daily on the project. Around 800 laborers are actively contributing to the project."
Rajendra Parab, deputy chief engineer stated "The project is being constructed within a limited area of 8.36 hectares. It include sludge treatment, biogas generation from the treated sludge, and the creation of a knowledge center and viewing gallery. Once operational, the project is expected to improve the quality of seawater and marine life. It will also benefit the local populations in areas such as Mahim, Bandra, Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), Kherwadi, and Santacruz."
The existing STP at Bandra currently performs primary treatment of sewage, after which the treated water is discharged into the deep sea through the marine outfall. This new plant will utilise Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) technology, ensuring a higher level of purification. The operational and maintenance period for the project will be 15 years, as stated by the officials.
