Maharashtra Approves BMC's Pise-Panjrapur Underground Water Tunnel Project
The Maharashtra State Government's Urban Development Department granted prior approval on Monday for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) proposed dedicated underground water tunnel between Pise and Panjrapur. The required Government Resolution was issued to allow the civic body to move the critical water corridor project forward.
At present, water brought from the Bhatsa Dam to the Pise Waterworks is conveyed to the Panjrapur Water Treatment Plant through open channels. This current alignment leaves the municipal supply vulnerable to leakage, transmission losses, and contamination. In granting approval, the Urban Development Department highlighted ageing pipelines and severe space constraints along the existing water-main corridor.
The proposed underground tunnel is designed to establish a direct, enclosed conduit to Panjrapur. By replacing the vulnerable open channel system, the enclosed tunnel will protect water supplies from external pollution and pilferage while reducing transmission losses and reinforcing long-term water security for the Mumbai network.
Under the state government's directives, the BMC must take explicit precautions to ensure that tunnelling operations do not endanger nearby residential or commercial structures. The civic administration has been ordered to carry out a comprehensive geological survey of underground rock and soil conditions before selecting a suitable Tunnel Boring Machine.
The civic body must also secure all mandatory environmental and technical clearances from both Central and State government authorities prior to beginning physical work. A senior civic official noted that the project will protect supply from pollution and pilferage while curbing losses from ageing channels, adding that it will also help ensure uninterrupted transmission to the Panjrapur Water Treatment Plant during the monsoon and emergencies.
With formal state sanction now in place, the underground water tunnel project is scheduled to advance to its technical and tendering stages.
