Mumbai: As Mumbai tightens water supplies, developers and industrial users are recalibrating operations, bracing for higher costs, greater reliance on tankers and possible project delays even as they accelerate investment in water recycling and reuse.The BMC suspended water supply to construction sites and imposed a 20% cut on industrial and commercial establishments after reservoir levels fell and the monsoon’s onset was delayed. The curbs were layered on top of a 10% cut already in force since last month.Amit Jain, chairman and managing director of Arkade Developers, said the curbs would push developers towards water tankers, raising costs and creating logistical strain at sites, though execution would not be significantly disrupted as long as alternative sources remained available.Ashish Raheja, managing director of Raheja Universal, said the restrictions would force businesses to recalibrate operational planning, with short-term curbs leading to project execution delays. He said the real estate sector was already increasing adoption of sewage treatment plants, water recycling systems and rainwater harvesting to reduce dependence on municipal supply.Afcons Infrastructure said it has been deploying wastewater treatment systems and prioritising recycled water across sites. It cited its Bengalaru underground metro project, where nearly 300 million litres of treated water from the Lalbagh tertiary treatment plant powered slurry tunnel boring machines during acute summer water shortages.In Mumbai, where Afcons was involved with the Atal Setu bridge, the company said the latest curbs would have only a “marginal” impact, since its projects depend on BMC supply solely for drinking water.“Water management can no longer be viewed as an optional or occasional sustainability initiative,” Jain said, adding that developers must integrate recycling systems and alternative water sources into core planning rather than treat them as contingencies.Manish Jain, managing director of Enviro Infra Engineers, said the curbs highlighted the growing stress on urban water systems and the need to reduce dependence on freshwater. “The temporary suspension of water supply to construction sites by BMC now and in the past by other corporations hints at the immense potential for reuse of treated water from wastewater treatment plants,” he said.The long-term solution, he added, lies in building a circular water economy in which treated wastewater is used for construction and other non-drinking purposes, easing pressure on municipal supplies and improving resilience to recurring shortages.
