All seven sewage treatment plants (STPs) are set to be operational by 2027, with land issues at the Mahul pumping stations now resolved, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar said on Tuesday (March 24, 2026). He said the city will be able to ensure 100% treatment of sewage before it is discharged into the sea.
“Bhandup, Versova, Ghatkopar STP will be completed this year, while Bandra, Worli, Dharavi and Malad by December 2027. The Mahul pumping station land issue has been resolved, as we have acquired the saltpan land. However, for the Mogra Pumping Station, the site falls within the alignment of the coastal road, so the plan needs to be shifted 50 meters westward, which requires approval from the Coastal Zone Authority,” Mr. Bangar informed BMC house.
The issue of STPs surfaced in the house after Mumbai H-ward Shiv Sena (UBT) Corporator Chintamani Nivate raised concerns around the Gajdharbandh facility at Khardanda, which has been unoperational for over seven months. Gajdharbandh STP is part of Mumbai’s localised sewage infrastructure, treating sewage waste before discharging the water into the sea.
“This water is causing marine pollution, harming fishing, disrupting the breeding cycles, declining biodiversity, and disturbing the marine food chain. It has posed a risk to both marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of fishermen in Mumbai, needs urgent attention in the House,” said Mr. Nivate, adding that fishermen take huge loans and if fish are unavailable, how will they repay.
In response, Mr. Bangar highlighted that the contract to maintain the plant ended in February 2026, and the response to the tender rolled in September 2025 has been poor. “The contract was not extended due to the unavailability of funds allocated for the project. However, tomorrow the tender is closing, and as per the response, the decision will be taken whether to extend the contract.”
The seven STPs are part of BMC’s Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project (MSDP) Phase-II, launched to upgrade the sewage treatment system of the city with the intention of reducing marine pollution. However, it has been delayed due to cost escalations and technical complexity. Similarly, the Mahul and Mogra Pumping Stations have been due since 2005 under the Brihanmumbai Stormwater Disposal System (BRIMSTOWAD). The intention to install the station has been to ease chronic flooding in Versova, Andheri and Jogeshwari.
BJP Corporator Swapna Mhatre urged BMC officials to extend the contract till the new contract is in place, while Yogita Koli, another BJP corporator, supported the proposal of Mr Nivate, saying the fishing business has taken a hit as the administration has failed to address the sewage issue.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader from Worli, Hema Worlikar, raised similar concerns of marine pollution and waterlogging during monsoon due to sewage water, saying, “There are times when collection of fish is less and waste is more. During the monsoon, water floods into our houses.”
Former Mayor Vishakha Raut suggested whether the filtration system can be installed at a point where the Mithi River flows into the sea, as it has been affecting both tourism and the fishing community. She also referred to a Japanese sewage treatment technique that includes constructing a test pond at the site to assess water quality by observing fish survival.
Published – March 25, 2026 03:34 am IST
