Mumbai, March 26: The BMC Standing Committee has approved the sale of 10 million litres per day (MLD) of treated water from the Colaba Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) for non-potable use. Of this, 3 MLD will be supplied to a private entity at Rs 15 per 1,000 litres, down from Rs 21.
Chairman Prabhakar Shinde said the initiative aims to promote water reuse and commercial use of treated wastewater, conserve freshwater, and encourage private-sector participation.
Plan to boost reuse of treated water
The BMC currently discharges 3 ML of treated water daily into the sea due to low demand, though the Colaba STP produces 10 MLD, most of which goes unused. To boost uptake, the civic body has proposed a uniform rate of Rs 15 per kilolitre, down from previous variable rates of up to Rs 21 per kilolitre.
While buyers like the Cricket Club of India, the Indian Navy, and Larsen & Toubro have purchased water intermittently, demand has been project-specific and inconsistent.
A women-led SR Enterprises expressed interest in buying 3 MLD at Rs 10 per kilolitre, offering to arrange transport and infrastructure. The water will be used for construction, including the Orange Gate tunnel project.
Debate in standing committee
The proposal was discussed at the standing committee on Wednesday. During the discussion, BJP corporator Makarand Narvekar opposed the proposal, emphasising that treated water from the STP should not go to waste.
Another corporator, Priti Satam, questioned why only 10 MLD of water would be reused out of the total, and why the rest could not be utilised.
She also raised logistical concerns, asking how the municipal corporation would ensure accountability if a company claimed to fill one tanker but actually used ten, and what monitoring mechanisms would be in place.
Approval despite objections
The BMC House Leader Ganesh Khankar, along with MIM corporator Jameer Qureshi, BJP’s Sheetal Gambhir, and NCP’s Dr Saeeda Khan, participated in the discussion on selling recycled water.
Additional Commissioner Vipin Sharma clarified that the sale would follow approved procedures and agreements would be signed with the concerned institutions. Standing Committee Chairman Prabhakar Shinde approved the proposal, rejecting the opposition’s request for reconsideration.
Challenges in demand and infrastructure
The civic body currently spends around Rs 12 per kilolitre to produce treated water. However, demand has been limited due to the relatively low cost of potable water in Mumbai and the added expense of transporting treated water from Colaba to other areas.
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Colaba is currently the only STP producing treated water, while others at Bandra, Worli, Versova, Ghatkopar, and Bhandup are yet to generate reusable water. The Colaba STP, commissioned in 2020 and operated by Suez India Pvt Ltd, has a capacity of 37 MLD.
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