Mumbai: The BMC has scrapped its tendering process for the eagerly awaited desalination project, which aimed to boost the city’s water supply by 200 million liters per day (MLD), due to a lack of suitable bidders.
Despite multiple extensions to the bidding deadline since December 2023, the project failed to attract any participants. As a result, the civic authorities will now conduct an investigation to uncover the reasons behind the project’s lack of interest.
The deadline for the most recent bid extension ended on August 29. “Despite extending the deadline multiple times, we received either one bid or no bids at all. Continuing to extend the deadline no longer makes sense, so we have decided to cancel the tendering process. However, we are committed to this unique project, which cannot be rushed. We will engage with experts to determine why we did not receive more interest,” stated a senior civic official.
In February 2021, the BMC appointed an Israeli company to develop a detailed proposal for the project. SMEC India was later hired to review the study and designs prepared by the Israeli firm in January 2022. A tender notice was issued on December 4, 2023, for the construction of a plant capable of converting saline water into potable water.
The proposed desalination plant, located in Manori, Malad, is designed with an initial capacity of 200 MLD, with potential future expansion to 400 MLD. The plant is expected to be operational within four years, with an estimated cost of Rs. 3,520 crores.
Previously, the Congress had alleged cartelisation in the tender process, claiming that the conditions were manipulated to favor a specific bidder. They demanded an explanation from the BMC and called for the cancellation of the entire tender process if these allegations were proven true.
