Mumbai: BMC to assess whether Powai Lake water can be treated for drinking

Powai Lake in Mumbai. File pic/Nimesh Dave

The BMC may examine whether Powai Lake's non-potable water can be treated for drinking or other civic uses in the future, once ongoing rejuvenation work is completed.

The proposal was raised by Prakash More, municipal councillor of L-159 ward, in July. In its official reply, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said the technical feasibility of implementing the suggestion would be examined after the rejuvenation work is completed.

Desilting yet to begin

Current work includes preventing sewage from entering the lake, diverting sewage to sewage treatment plants and removing floating waste and mineral deposits from the surface, officials said. Desilting has not yet begun, while an 8-million-litre-per-day (MLD) sewage treatment plant is planned for the lake.

Officials told mid-day that Powai Lake water has not been used for drinking for more than six decades. While efforts are underway to improve its condition, its suitability for potable use remains uncertain.

OfficialSpeak

"It's very tough to say at present whether Powai Lake's water quality will improve to the extent that we can consider it for purification and potable use. Even if the water becomes suitable, we will have to assess the feasibility of setting up a treatment plant for such a small volume," a senior civic official said.

Limited capacity a constraint

The lake's limited capacity could also be a constraint. Officials pointed to Tulsi Lake, which has a capacity of approximately 8000 million litres, saying only a small quantity is drawn from it to supply nearby areas.

An official added that BMC has not allocated funds for desilting, which is being undertaken as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative by an NGO. The actual desilting work is yet to begin.

At a glance: Powai Lake

Location: Powai, Mumbai
Area: 557 acres
Circumference: 10.2 km
Original capacity: 5455 million litres
Capacity lost to silt: 1762 million litres 32.3% of original capacity
Capacity after silt loss: 3693 million litres
Mumbai's daily water requirement: 4600 million litres