BMC to recycle, sell water for use in hosps, gardens….Linah Baliga
If the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) sewage masterplan is anything to go by, Mumbaikars will be able to bathe a kilometre away from the sea shore in the distant future.
The civic body has plans to improve the conditions of marine life and save on potable water for citizens.
Sewage will be given secondary treatment and it will not be discharged into the sea.
Additional municipal commissioner Rajiv Jalota said, “It’s only for citizens that we are trying to improve the conditions in the sea. When we discharge sewage into it, marine life is affected and a lot of foam is generated. Our aim is to make Mumbai’s coastline like other coastal cities, by reducing the foam and where people can bathe a kilometre from the shore. This will take many years to achieve, but we are at the initial stages,” said Jalota. BMC’s Colaba sewage treatment plant, near Navy Nagar, will recycle five mld water from the 37 mld waste water.
“The non-potable water will be sold to factories for secondary purposes. It can be used to wash godowns and boats, and at hospitals, botanical gardens and golf clubs. We will issue tenders soon. We have issued an expression of interest for the project. Work will begin in six months,” said Jalota.
The civic body also plans to generate electricity from recycled water at the Colaba plant.
“At least five mld of water will not get discharged into the sea and that much of potable water will be saved, as factories use potable water for secondary purposes,” said Jalota.
At the Ghatkopar sewage treatment plant, 150 mld water will be recycled and reused for secondary purposes.
“The sewage masterplan study for Colaba was conducted by Mott MacDonald and RB Anderson. Crisil will conduct a techno-financial study of the project,” said Jalota.
At present, BMC provides preliminary treatment to waste water at sewage plants at Colaba, Worli, Bandra, Versova, Malad, Bhandup and Ghatkopar.