Mumbai’s Water Crisis Looms? BMC Tells High Court It Needs Double the Land in Worli for ‘British-Era’ Pipe Safety

The BMC filed an affidavit through the Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Engineering) in response to the plea by Worli Urban Development Project LLP (formerly Lokhandwala DB Realty LLP), the developer undertaking the slum rehabilitation project, that challenged a stop-work notice issued to it. The petitioner had raised concerns over BMC’s change in stand.

On March 27, a bench of Justices Makarand S Karnik and Shriram M Modak had sought to know the reasons for the change in BMC’s stand through an affidavit.

“BMC is considering the requirement of the growing population and of meeting the potable water needs; it is now constructing an STP for a capacity of treating sewage up to 500 MLD (Million Litres per Day) up to tertiary level on the available area of 85,200 sq. metres contiguous to the SRA project,” the affidavit stated.

The civic body claimed that as per ongoing work, the Worli Waste Water Treatment Facility (WWTF), which will be approximately functional by July 2027, will initially treat sewage up to tertiary level for 50% of its capacity, which is the 250 MLD quantity for reuse purposes.

It added that reuse water will be used for non-potable purposes and “the infrastructure required for storage and distribution of 250 MLD quantity was not considered in the present work.” Therefore, the civic body said a “larger area of 27,964.04 square metres, which shall be contiguous to the existing project, is required.”

“The BMC proposes to utilise the full capacity of 500 MLD sewage to convert it to potable water standards for future requirements due to the increasing population in Mumbai,” it added.

The BMC further said the plot in question is “traversed” by two major sewer trunk lines that “carry substantial sewage flow from major city areas, including F/South, G/South, and G/North wards.”

It added these two lines are from the “British era” and are presently in good working condition; they are located nearly 30 feet below ground level and extend for about 450 metres within the plot concerned.

The BMC said these two lines also play a “critical role” in “stormwater discharge during periods of heavy rainfall and flooding,” and any damage to them, considering their “strategic importance,” would result in “serious flooding and disaster situations,” therefore adequate access for their operation and maintenance was essential.

The bench sought petitioner’s response to BMC’s affidavit and posted further hearing to April 17.