The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has officially awarded the contract for the ₹11,166 crore Manori desalination plant to Hyderabad-based GVPR Engineers Limited, marking a crucial step towards securing Mumbai’s long-term water supply.
Project capacity and scope:
The desalination plant is a flagship infrastructure initiative to reduce Mumbai’s reliance on monsoon-fed reservoirs.
Initial Capacity: The plant, to be set up on a 12-hectare plot in Manori, will have an initial capacity of 200 million litres per day (MLD) of potable water.
Future Expansion: The design is future-proof, allowing for the capacity to be expanded to 400 MLD with minimal disruption.
Technology: It will employ seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology, drawing water from an offshore intake several kilometers from the coastline.
Contract Duration: The total project cost of ₹11,166 crore includes construction, as well as 20 years of operation and maintenance (O&M), electricity charges, and other operational expenses. GVPR Engineers is partnering with global water-treatment specialist IDE Technologies for execution.
Infrastructure support:
To ensure the new water supply integrates seamlessly with the city’s existing network, the BMC has also initiated work on supporting infrastructure.
Conveyance System: The desalinated water will need to be transported from the Manori plant to Charkop and then connected to the tunnel shaft at Mahavir Nagar in Kandivali.
Separate Tender: A separate tender for the design and construction of this conveyance tunnel has been issued by the civic body.
Construction for the main Manori desalination plant is expected to begin in 2026. This project aims to provide a stable, climate-resilient source of fresh water, addressing the rising water demand in India’s financial capital.
