Mumbai’s water network to get new 8-km tunnel replacing four pipelines

Mumbai’s water supply network is set for a major underground upgrade after the Maharashtra government approved an eight-kilometre water tunnel between Pise and Panjrapur in Thane district.

The tunnel will replace four existing pipelines carrying water from the Pise pumping station to the Panjrapur water treatment plant. The project will be designed and constructed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) at its own cost, with no financial liability on the state government, according to a government resolution issued by the urban development department on Monday.

Pise and Panjrapur, both located in Bhiwandi in Thane district, form the Pise-Panjrapur Complex, a major BMC water facility. Raw water from the Bhatsa river is lifted at Pise and sent to Panjrapur, where it is treated before being supplied to Mumbai and its suburbs, reported The Hindustan Times.

At present, the two facilities are connected by four pipelines over a distance of eight kilometres. Three have a diameter of 2,235 mm and were commissioned between 1979 and 1996. The fourth, with a diameter of 3,000 mm, was commissioned in 2007.

The BMC had submitted its proposal in March 2026, citing Mumbai’s rising water requirement and limited space alongside the existing pipelines.

The approval comes with several conditions. The BMC has been directed to ensure that buildings and other structures along the route are not damaged during excavation. It must also determine whether approvals are required from the ministry of environment, forests and climate change and the Groundwater Survey and Development Agency and secure the necessary clearances.

The civic body has also been instructed to undertake a detailed geological study before selecting a tunnel boring machine. Construction precautions will be required during the monsoon, while construction waste and dust will have to be properly managed. The government resolution also requires measures such as silencers, sound barriers, rubber mats for trucks carrying excavated material and hydraulic crane systems wherever necessary. Noise levels during excavation must remain below 55 decibels.

The BMC will be responsible for the tunnel’s maintenance, preservation and repair, along with legal, judicial and administrative matters linked to its construction.

The Panjrapur treatment plant currently has a capacity of 1,365 million litres per day. The BMC plans to raise this to 1,820 MLD by constructing a new 910 MLD plant to replace the existing 455 MLD facility.