Mumbai: BMC Extends Tender Deadline For Desalination Project Amid Limited Bids And Allegations Of Cartelisation

Mumbai: The ambitious desalination project, designed to increase the city's water supply by 200 million litres per day (MLD), has remained elusive. Eight months after the initial tender was issued, the civic body has yet to secure a suitable bidder.

The project was retendered following allegations of cartelisation by the Congress party and the failure of prospective bidders to meet technical requirements. However, with only one bid received, the BMC has extended the deadline to August 29.

The BMC currently supplies 3,900 million litres of water per day to the city. However, the city's reliance on its seven lakes for potable water causes anxiety every year during the monsoon. To address this, the BMC has revived an ambitious desalination project aimed at augmenting the water supply.

The proposed desalination plant, located in Manori, Malad, will initially have a capacity of 200 million liters per day (MLD) with the potential to expand to 400 MLD in the future. The plant is expected to be operational within the next four years, with an estimated project cost of Rs. 3,520 crores.

In February 2021, the BMC appointed an Israeli company to prepare a detailed proposal for the project. The corporation engaged SMEC India to evaluate the study and designs prepared by the Israeli firm in January 2022. A tender notice was issued on December 4, 2023, to set up a plant which can turn saline water potable.

Despite multiple extensions to the tender deadline, the civic body received limited interest from bidders. Two bids were submitted by the July 10 deadline, but the tender was refloated after project consultants identified technical issues with the bidders' documents.

A senior civic official said, "Given the unique nature of this project, it cannot be rushed. We require specialized expertise to achieve optimal results. Therefore, we have decided to extend the deadline by an additional ten days to ensure competitive bidding."

Meanwhile, Sachin Sawant, Congress spokesperson, had previously alleged cartelisation in the tender process, suggesting that the conditions were manipulated to favor a specific bidder. He had also demanded an explanation from the BMC and called for the cancellation of the entire tender process if the allegations proved to be true.