After foreign trip, Ashok Chavan fast-tracks desalination plans for Mumbai

The state government’s plans to desalinate sea water for usage in the city seems to have finally gained momentum. Chief minister Ashok Chavan after his tour of the US and Singapore has asked officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to conduct a techno-economic feasibility study to assess the possibility of setting up a desalination plant in the metropolitan region.

MMRDA commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad, who confirmed the development, said, the chief minister and other top government officials visited the desalination plants in the US and Singapore.

“Singapore has a serious water shortage problem and they heavily rely on desalinated water. At present, they are using 136 million litres daily (MLD) of desalinated water. Although, officials from Singapore were tightlipped about the cost matrix of the plant, the chief minister has asked us to check whether setting up similar plants is possible within the metropolitan region,” said Gaikwad.

However, Gaikwad added that the key element which the authority will have to consider is the cost of desalination. “It is a fact that a developed and tiny country like Singapore pays a heavy cost for desalination. It costs them approximately Singapore $117 per 1000 litre. Also, their plant is setup on a 7 hector land. Our first task will be to assess whether we can identify land for a desalination plant within the MMR. It is not an easy job,” added Gaikwad. “As per preliminary estimates, the cost of such a plant can be approximately Rs4.5 crore per MLD.”

When asked about the Birhanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) plans to set a desalination plant, Gaikwad said that the MMRDA will only play the role of a facilitator. “We do not intend to compete; we will only help,” added Gaikwad.