Centre okays Rs 1,550-cr Middle Vaitarana project

MUMBAI: The Centre has cleared a major infrastructure project for Mumbai under the National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM).

The central expenditure finance committee on Wednesday gave an approval to the Rs 1,550-crore Middle Vaitarana water supply project that would augment Mumbai’s water supply by another 455m litres per day (MLD). This is the first proposal cleared by the Centre for Mumbai under NURM.

This is the second major infrastructure project for Mumbai cleared by the Centre in the last fortnight. Two weeks back, the Centre had agreed to fund the Brihanmumbai storm water drain (Brimstowad) upgradation project, estimated to cost Rs 1,200 crore on actual project and Rs 600 crore as slum resettlement cost.

However, the Brimstowad project is not a part of the seven proposals submitted by the state government to the Centre under NURM.

The Middle Vaitarana project factors in the rise in Mumbai’s population and provides for additional water supply.
At present, Mumbai — the city and its suburbs — consumes 3,200 MLD water and the water supply just about meets the demand, which is estimated to rise manifold in future.

The new dam would be constructed between the lower and upper dams on Vaitarana. Under NURM, the centre would release 35% of the total project cost and the BMC would bear 50% while the rest would come from the state government.