Dharavi STP 76% complete; BMC targets May 2027 construction finish

BMC says its 418-million-litre-a-day sewage treatment plant in Dharavi is 76% complete, with construction targeted for completion by May 2027 and operations planned from July.

The plant will intercept sewage flowing into the Mithi River from Bapat Nala and Safed Pool through a planned twin-tunnel system. BMC estimates that about 168 MLD of sewage now reaching the river directly can instead be sent for treatment.

Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijeet Bangar reviewed the site, where 688 people are deployed daily. He directed teams to complete the twin-tunnel launching shaft by the end of November 2026. The secondary-treatment liquid line is due by February 2027. The project also includes rehabilitation of structures affected near the protective wall.

Built as a multi-storey facility because of limited land, the plant uses Sequential Batch Reactor technology. It is designed to provide secondary treatment for its full 418 MLD capacity and tertiary treatment for 209 MLD, producing water for non-potable uses. BMC also plans to use biogas generated during treatment for electricity.

The Dharavi plant is one of seven sewage-treatment projects in Mumbai, with a combined planned capacity of 2,464 MLD.