All the seven Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) are to be operational by 2027, with land issues at 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 STPs will be completed this year while Bandra, Worli, Dharavi and Malad by December 2027. The land issue of Mahul pump station has been resolved as we have acquired the land in the salt pan. However, for Mogra pump station, the site falls under the coastal road route, so the plan needs to be shifted by 50 meters towards the west of Zoastalne office.” Mr. Bangar informed the BMC house.
The STP issue came up in the house after Mumbai H-ward Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Chintamani Nivate raised concerns over the Gajdharbandh facility at Khardanda, which has been out of service for more than seven months. The Gajdharbandh STP is part of Mumbai’s localized sewage infrastructure that treats sewage effluent before discharging the water into the sea.
“This water is polluting the seas, damaging fisheries, disrupting breeding cycles, reducing biodiversity and disrupting the marine food chain. It poses a risk to marine ecosystems as well as the livelihood of fishermen in Mumbai, it needs urgent attention in the House,” Mr. Nivate said, adding that fishermen are taking huge loans and if fish become unavailable.
In response, Mr Bangar highlighted that the plant’s maintenance contract expired in February 2026 and the response to the tender issued in September 2025 had been poor. “The contract was not extended due to the unavailability of funds allocated for the project. However, the tendering process ends tomorrow, and depending on the response, it will be decided whether to extend the contract.”
The seven STPs are part of the BMC’s Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project (MSDP) Phase II, which was launched to modernize the city’s sewage treatment system with the intention of reducing sea pollution. However, there were delays due to cost escalation and technical complexity. Similarly, Mahul and Mogra pumping stations have come under the Brihanmumbai Stormwater Disposal System (BRIMSTOWAD) since 2005. The intention of installing the station was to alleviate chronic flooding in Versova, Andheri and Jogeshwari.
BJP corporator Swapna Mhatre urged the BMC officials to extend the contract until a new contract is concluded, while Yogita Koli, another BJP corporator, supported Mr. Nivate’s proposal, saying that the fishing business has taken a hit because the administration has failed to resolve the sewage problem.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader from Worli, Hema Worlikar, expressed similar concerns about sea pollution and waterlogging during monsoon due to sewage, saying, “There are times when there is less fish collection and more garbage. During monsoon, water floods our houses.”
Former mayor Vishakha Raut suggested whether a filtration system can be installed at the point where the Mithi river flows into the sea as it affects both tourism and the fishing community. She also pointed to a Japanese wastewater treatment technique that involves building a test pond on site to assess water quality by observing fish survival.
Published – 25 March 2026 03:34 IST
