Mumbai sewage plants plan questioned

In a bid to conserve water, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is gearing up to recycle sewage water and reuse it for non-potable purposes. If all goes as per plan, by 2015 the city will have seven sewage water treatment plants.

The city generates 1,700 million litre daily (MLD) of sewage water, which the BMC can treat and provide to industrial estates and domestic consumers for non-potable use. However, the project to build plants in Ghatkopar, Colaba, Worli, Versova, Bhandup, Bandra and Malad is being met with scepticism.

Officials believe that despite seven plants, only 20% of the sewage water can be treated. “The plants will operate in modular fashion.

The Ghatkopar plant will have a capacity of 150 MLD, while the remaining plants will treat up to 50 MLD. This accounts for only a minuscule portion of the sewage water generated,” said a senior civic official in charge of the project.

Besides, the mode of supply of the recycled water hasn’t been figured out yet. Presently, sewage water is partially treated and released into the sea.

“The idea of laying down separate pipelines in the city to carry treated water is remotely possible,” another senior civic official said. Similarly, the acceptance of treated water by consumers is also questionable.

However, SS Palav, officer on special duty with the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, said, “The water will be treated for Biochemical Oxygen Demand and will be rid of all impurities. The water comes under unrestricted non-potable category. There need not be any apprehension about using it.”

The plan
The water treatment plants will be established under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. Contracts will be awarded to firms on the design, build, operate, and transfer basis.
Out of the seven sewage plants in the pipeline (at Ghatkopar, Colaba, Worli, Versova, Bhandup, Bandra and Malad), the pilot project at Ghatkopar will be commissioned in the next 18 months. The plant, which is set to be established on a 3-acre plot, has received 23 bidders so far.

“The remaining six plants will be operational after gauging the demand and utility of the Ghatkopar plant,” said VR Pednekar, chief engineer of the Mumbai Sewerage Disposal Project (MSDP).