DPR of plan to provide water to Mumbai completed

An ambitious plan to quench the thirst of Mumbai residents has moved a step forward with the completion of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) by the National Water Development Agency (NWDA).
The project envisages provision of 579 million cubic metres of water annually to the rapidly expanding financial capital of the country by linking Damanganga River in Gujarat with Pinjal River flowing in neighbouring Maharashtra.
Surplus water from Damanganga basin would be transferred to Pinjal basin through three dams proposed and two tunnels, before reaching Mumbai for domestic distribution.
"The project is vital for Mumbai, as it would be a major source to meet the water requirements of the city expected to witness massive growth in the coming years," NWDA Director General S Masood Husain told PTI.

As per the assessment of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) the domestic water demand for Mumbai in the year 2041 will be about 6680 MLD, widening the gap between demand and supply, the DPR said.
The Damanganga-Pinjal Link Project aims to provide about 1600 MLD for augmentation of domestic water supply to Mumbai. This apart, an additional 865 MLD (million litres per day) is proposed to be drawn from the proposed Pinjal dam, raising the total quantum of available water to around 2450 MLD.
The demand of domestic water in the year 2012 in Mumbai, which has a population of over 18 million, was 4529 MLD, whereas the available supply was 3675 MLD, creating a gap of 854 MLD, the DPR said.

"The DPR was completed by March 31 this year, four months before the actual date of completion. In fact, we were able to finish four DPRs within one year, which is a record of sorts," Husain said.