Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has received bids from three prominent firms—Afcons Infrastructure, Ceigall India, and Welspun Enterprises—for the construction of a new water conveyance tunnel. This crucial 8.485 km long tunnel will connect the Dharavi Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) to the Ghatkopar WWTF, supplying water to the central and eastern suburbs of Mumbai. The project is a key element in the city’s ongoing efforts to enhance its water infrastructure.
BMC has engaged TATA Consulting Engineers (TCE) as the design consultant for the tunnel, which will have a diameter of 3.5 meters and be constructed using at least one full-face rock tunnel boring machine (TBM). Two deep shafts—144 meters deep at Dharavi and 152 meters deep at Ghatkopar—will be drilled and supported using advanced methods such as circular wells and secant piling.
|
Project Details |
Specifications |
|
Project
Name |
Dharavi
WWTF to Ghatkopar WWTF Water Tunnel |
|
Total
Tunnel Length |
8.485
km |
|
Tunnel
Diameter |
3.5
meters |
|
Construction
Method |
Full-face
rock tunnel boring machine (TBM) |
|
Shafts |
Dharavi:
144 meters deep |
|
Design
Consultant |
TATA
Consulting Engineers (TCE) |
|
Construction
Firms that Submitted Bids |
Afcons
Infrastructure |
|
Bid
Invitation Date |
August
2024 |
|
Construction
Deadline |
7.64
years |
|
Additional
Tunnel Projects |
11.61
km tunnel: Ghatkopar WWTF to Bhandup WWTF |
The bids will now undergo a detailed technical evaluation, a process expected to take about a month. Once completed, the financial bids of the qualified firms will be opened to determine the lowest bidder and likely contractor.
This tunnel is part of a broader water tunnel system that also includes an 11.61 km tunnel from Ghatkopar WWTF to Bhandup WWTF and the Bhandup Complex. In August 2024, APCO Infratech was declared the lowest bidder for this section, narrowly edging out Afcons.
In related news, earlier this month, BMC awarded Letters of Acceptance (LOAs) for two other critical water tunnel projects:
- A 14.1 km tunnel from Yewai Master Balancing Reservoir to Kasheli (Bhiwandi), awarded to APCO Infratech.
- A 7 km tunnel from Kasheli (Bhiwandi) to Mulund’s Octroi Naka, awarded to Afcons Infrastructure.
As BMC continues to expand and upgrade Mumbai’s water infrastructure, these projects represent significant progress toward ensuring a reliable water supply for the city’s rapidly growing population.
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