Mumbai: BMC is speeding up work on the proposed Gargai Dam project, with the civic body targeting completion by 2029 so that Mumbai can begin receiving an additional 440 million litres of water per day (MLD) from the project by the monsoon of that year.The deadline is significant as it coincides with a year when both Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly elections are due in the state.BMC officials said similar to the construction of the last dam, Middle Vaitarna, which currently supplies around 455 MLD of water to Mumbai, the construction of the Gargai dam is expected to take around a year, with work likely to begin from Jan 2027 once the remaining statutory permissions are secured. BMC plans to finish the main dam structure in nine months, compared to the 15 months Middle Vaitarna took—despite that project being ranked the ninth fastest dam construction in the world.“We are currently awaiting key forest and wildlife clearances, while mobilisation of machinery and manpower at the site has begun in the early stages. By May-June 2029, we are targeting completion of the dam and ancillary structures. The aim is to start storing water and supplying it to Mumbai by the monsoons of the year 2029,” a BMC official said.The project requires clearances from multiple authorities, with officials describing permissions as the main hurdle before full-scale construction can begin. These include forest clearance, wildlife clearance and rehabilitation-related approvals.The wildlife clearance has to be considered by National Board for Wildlife, whose standing committee is chaired by Union environment minister. The proposal is expected to be taken up at an upcoming meeting. The forest clearance is being processed through Maharashtra govt, said officials.At the same time, BMC is working on the technical aspects of the project. Central Design Organisation in Nashik, the apex technical body for dam construction, has cleared the basic design and structural aspects. The detailed project report has also been cleared, officials said.A key component will be the concrete used for the dam. The project will use roller-compacted concrete, a specialised form of concrete. Officials said trials are being conducted to determine the appropriate mix and proportions of aggregates and other materials required to achieve the prescribed strength.“These trials will take around 180 days, or about six months. The concrete trials, design finalisation and other ancillary works will have to proceed simultaneously so that construction is not held up,” the official said. BMC plans to complete the trials and technical approvals while mobilisation continues, allowing concreting and major dam construction activity to begin once all statutory permissions are in place.Rehabilitation-related work is also being pursued simultaneously. Officials said the rehabilitation component is expected to be finalised by Dec, following which relocation and other related processes can begin once the necessary permissions are received. The civic body is now attempting to run the various components of the project — clearances, rehabilitation, design, concrete trials and site mobilisation — in parallel to meet the 2029 deadline.
