After a year of delay, work on Phase 3 of the Mithi River Rejuvenation project is set to move forward. A consultant has submitted a revised tender draft after the BMC failed to receive responses from prospective bidders last year. The draft is now awaiting administrative approval. The project includes the widening and deepening of the remaining 300 meters of the Mithi River, construction of a protective wall, a promenade, and flood control gates with stormwater drainage systems at 25 outfalls.
Phase 3 of the Mithi River project focuses on intercepting sewage from 26 outfalls in the Mithi and Vakola rivers and redirecting it to the main sewer system via an 8,343-meter sewage line along the river banks. The project also includes widening and deepening 300 meters of the river, building a 6,780-meter protective wall, a 6,421-meter service road, an 8,850-meter promenade, and flood control gates with drainage systems at 25 outfalls. It also includes a 10-year operation and maintenance period.
The tender initially invited in March 2023 was cancelled after bidders raised concerns regarding the relocation of project-affected people on both sides of the river, as the promenade work includes the construction of six-foot-wide roads. A new proposal was prepared with revised rates, and a fresh tender was invited last year. However, due to a lack of response from prospective bidders, the tender was once again cancelled. In response, the civic authorities appointed a consultant to revise the terms and conditions and restart the tender process.
"The consultant has submitted its report, and the tender will be issued soon after receiving administrative approval," said a senior civic official. The estimated cost for Phase 3 of the project, including the operation and maintenance cost for 10 years, is projected to be Rs. 3,067.55 crore, according to the budget document for the financial year 2024-25. The 17.8-km river starts at Vihar Lake and ends in the Arabian Sea at Mahim Causeway. The 6-km part of Mithi river falls under the jurisdiction of the MMRDA and the remaining 11.8-km is under the BMC. The work for Phase 1 has been completed, while the work for Phases 2 and 4 is currently ongoing.
Highlights of the project
In Phase 1, the construction of an 8 million liters per day capacity sewage treatment plant, costing Rs. 133 crore, from Filter Pada to Powai has been completed.
In Phase 2, 60% of the work on the construction of the retaining wall, service road, interceptor, and laying of the sewer line from WSP Compound, Powai to CST Road, Kurla has been completed.
In Phase 4, approximately 84% of the work on the construction of a tunnel from Bapat Nalla to Safed Pool Nalla to the Dharavi Waste Water Treatment Facility has been completed.
The estimated cost for Phase 3 and Phase 4 is Rs. 473 crore and Rs. 437 crore, respectively.
