In what can be called as a gift to Mumbaikars on the occasion of World Water day, the Centre has given permission to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to carry out geo-technical survey for the Gargai Dam project.
Municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte said, “The BMC was trying hard to seek permission from the national wildlife board for the Gargai project and additional municipal commissioner Rajiv Jalota had gone to New Delhi to pursue the matter. The Centre finally on Wednesday allowed the civic body to carry out geo-technical survey for the project.”
The state government recently had given a green signal to the BMC for the construction of the Pinjal dam in Thane district. Following this, Centre’s nod for the geo-technical survey of Gargai Dam considered as a good omen to cater to the city’s growing water needs. The city currently faces a shortfall of around 900 million litres daily (mld), which is expected to end after completion of these two projects. The Gargai dam project will increase Mumbai’s water supply by a further 440 mld. The estimated `2,725 crore project include — constructing a dam, water tower and a 2.5 km tunnel — between Gargai and Modaksagar lakes. As the 7.5 sq. km. area of the dam falls into forest land of Tansa sanctuary, seeking the permission of national wildlife board and forest ministry had became significant for the civic body. In addition to this, six villages will be coming under water, for which a fixed rehabilitation policy is required.
“The Gargai project will submerge some part of the Tansa wildlife sanctuary, for which permission from the ministry of environment and forests was required. The state wildlife board had already recommended this project to the Centre,” said an official from the water supply projects department.