18 July,2026 05:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Pic/Special Arrangement
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner, Ashwini Bhide, has directed officials to ensure that all under-construction Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) across Mumbai are completed within the stipulated timeline and made operational without delay. She said the work on the Malad Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) is progressing at a satisfactory pace and expressed satisfaction with the project's current status.
To improve the quality of water discharged into the sea, the BMC is constructing Sewage Treatment Plants at Worli, Dharavi, Bandra, Ghatkopar, Bhandup, Versova, and Malad. The combined treatment capacity of these seven under-construction projects is 2,464 million litres per day (MLD). In addition, a 37 MLD STP at Colaba was completed and commissioned in April 2020.
Bhide conducted an on-site inspection of the Malad STP on Saturday, July 18, 2026, to review the project's progress and issued necessary directions to officials.
Among those present during the inspection were Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar, local corporator Kamarjahan Siddiqui, Deputy Commissioner (Zone IV) Dr Bhagyeshree Kapse, Deputy Commissioner (Commissioner's Office) Prashant Gaikwad, Deputy Commissioner (Engineering) Shashank Bhore, Chief Engineer (Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project, In-charge) Ashok Mengde, and other concerned officials.
During the visit, Bhide reviewed the civil, mechanical, electrical and engineering works being carried out at the Malad STP. She assessed the current status of various project components, construction progress, quality standards, and planning for the remaining work. She also inspected the installation of machinery, electrical systems, process units and safety measures at the site.
The Commissioner instructed officials to ensure strict adherence to quality standards at every stage of construction and complete the project within the scheduled timeframe through proper planning.
She also reviewed the progress of all eight sewage treatment plants through a digital presentation. These include Malad (454 MLD), Worli (500 MLD), Bhandup (215 MLD), Bandra (360 MLD), Dharavi (418 MLD), Ghatkopar (337 MLD), Versova (180 MLD), and Colaba (37 MLD), with a combined treatment capacity of 2,501 MLD. She directed all contractors to complete the projects within the stipulated deadlines while maintaining high-quality standards.
Bhide said that the Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project Department began work on the 454 MLD Malad Sewage Treatment Plant, including land improvement works, in July 2022. The project has a six-year design and construction period, followed by a 15-year operation and maintenance period.
The project will use Sequential Batch Reactor (SBR) technology. Under the proposed system, 454 million litres of sewage will undergo secondary treatment every day, while 227 million litres will receive tertiary treatment daily.
At present, the existing Malad STP carries out only primary treatment, including screening and degritting, before discharging treated sewage into the creek. The proposed project includes land improvement, construction of a new sewage treatment facility, Class A sludge treatment, and power generation using biogas produced during the treatment process.
Bhide further said that all required permissions for the removal of mangroves and associated vegetation have been obtained. Once the new STP becomes operational, it is expected to significantly improve seawater quality and marine life. The project will also benefit residents of Dahisar, Borivali, Kandivali, Malad, and Goregaon.
