Mumbai Expands Water Tunnel Network to 100 km, New 8.48 Km Tunnel Between Ghatkopar And Dharavi

New York holds the record for the longest water tunnel network in the world at 111 km, now Mumbai’s water tunnel network is 100 km.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to build an 8.48 km long water supply tunnel between Dharavi and Ghatkopar, the Indian Express reported.

The underground tunnel will be built at a depth of 145-150 meters, with the deepest point at 152 meters at Ghatkopar. Unlike conventional pipelines, the tunnel will be laid at a greater depth, as they can be damaged by roads or civic infrastructure works.

BMC is building two wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) at these locations. The newly built tunnels will carry recycled water, improving the city’s wastewater management.

This tunnel will form part of the larger 11.61 km water tunnel network of BMC Ghatkopar to Bhandup. Currently, Mumbai’s underground water network stretches for 100 km, providing the necessary infrastructure to meet the city’s water requirements.

The eastern suburbs of Ghatkopar, Parel, and Wadala, as well as other central parts of the city, have long had water supply problems, especially due to old pipelines that fail to maintain adequate water pressure in densely populated areas.

According to a Finance Express report, the larger diameter of the new tunnel will reduce water contamination and man-made leakage by increasing water pressure.

The construction of the project was ordered on September 30, with an estimated cost of Rs 1,989 crore. The tunnel will have a diameter of around 12 meters and will be built using a tunnel boring machine (TBM). Municipal officials said larger tunnels will help ensure a more reliable water supply and reduce the risk of pipeline damage during infrastructure works.

In August, Mumbai’s water tunnel network expanded when the BMC completed digging a 9.7-km-long water tunnel between Ghatkopar and Wadala. The city’s first water supply network was built in 1955, and the network has continued to grow since then.

With the latest expansion, Mumbai’s water tunnel network has reached 100 km, bringing it into competition with New York, which has the world’s longest water tunnel network record at 111 km.