Ray of hope for city amid water woes
| After 2 years, BMC completes 2nd phase of Amar Mahal-Parel water tunnel
While Mumbai is currently reeling under a 10% water cut, efforts are underway to augment supply, considering the evergrowing need till 2061. After two years of digging, the BMC on Friday finally completed the excavation of the 5.25 km underground water tunnel between Wadala and Parel. “Around 74% of the project is complete. We are confident that the tunnel will be operational within the scheduled time by April 2026,” said a civic official.
The breakthrough is significant for F-North (Matunga), FSouth (Parel), E (Byculla) and L (Kurla) wards as they will get better supply. After New York, Mumbai is the second city in the world to have 100 km of water tunnels.
The first phase – spanning 4.3 km from Amar Mahal to Wadala – was completed four months ahead of the scheduled period of 14 months in August 2022. The work on the Wadala to Parel stretch started in September 2022. Describing the problems coming in the way, the official said, “The second phase of excavation was completed within the scheduled time, facing tough challenges such as massive groundwater seepage, frequently changing subsurface layers and rockfall in the tunnel.” BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani, “An uninterrupted and an adequate water supply is being provided to Mumbai due to excellent planning, efficient management and technical expertise.” Water is brought to the city daily through water tunnels with a total length of 90 km. It has also helped to prevent leakage and water theft, he said, appealing to the citizens to avoid wasting water and use it sparingly.
The civic body has set many new records in the first phase, including the completion of an RCC lining of a 96.15-metredeep well at Hedgewar Udyan in just 29 days.