Damanganga-Pinjal River Linkage to Solve Mumbai’s Water Crisis Till 2060: Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani, President, NAREDCO

Share this News:

3 July 2019, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
In a scenario where Metro Cities are running out of water resources to quench the thirst of their citizens, and one reads about proposals to ban new constructions in Metro Cities like Bengaluru, it is reason enough for citizens of Metro Cities to worrisome. Amidst growing urbanization, the population of these Metro Cities is rising, and among the leading concerns is that of sufficient water to meet the needs of these Metro Cities in the future.

Mumbai as also Metro Cities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) is also facing this challenge. While dams on rivers in the peripheral areas of the MMR (Tansa, Bhatsa, Vaitarna among others) have been meeting the requirements of the ever-increasing density of Mumbai and the MMR, a long term but sustainable solution is on the cards.

For maximum city Mumbai, it has to be a solution that provides maximum water supply, and this is what is being worked out across the country: inter-inking rivers. This, effectively, will create water reservoirs in basins from where ever-expanding cities can quench their ever-growing thirst for water.

In Maharashtra, the state government has decided to go solo with river inter-linking projects to solve the crisis of drought facing a large section of the state as also enhancing water resources for fast-growing urban areas. For Mumbai, the best option is the Damanganga–Pinjal river inter-linking project, which is seen as an ideal, long-term solution for Mumbai’s water needs. This will fulfil Mumbai’s water needs till 2060.

From among a slew of decisions and projects under way in the area with a focus on future projects, the Damanganga-Pinjal river linking project proposes to divert excess water from reservoirs in the Damanganga basin to Mumbai through the Pinjal dam, built on the Pinjal river in the Vaitarna basin.

A detailed Project Report for this is being prepared, the Maharashtra CM said. “It is good that the state government is keen to address the alarming water crisis issue before it deepens it woes. A corrective step to expedite much awaited interlinking river projects shall augur well for the citizens of the bustling metropolis and shall be able to fulfil the water quench in the long run,” said Dr Niranjan Hiranandani, CMD, Hiranandani Communities and National President, NAREDCO.

The importance of water resources has been acutely felt in Mumbai and the peripheral satellite towns surrounding the city and suburbs. With existing water resources struggling to keep pace with rising demand across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, it is right time to tap resources further away from Mumbai’s peripheral areas.

The Damanganga-Pinjal project proposes to divert the surplus water of the Bhugad and Khargihill reservoirs in the Damanganga basin to Mumbai, via the Pinjal dam on the Pinjal river in the Vaitarna basin, said Dr Niranjan Hiranandani. “The project is expected to provide 909 MLD water daily, which will ensure drinking water supply to Mumbai, which estimates suggest, will cover growth of population and increase in demand for water till 2060,” he concluded.