Mumbai: Afcons Infrastructure has received a Letter of Acceptance from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the construction of a desalinated-water conveyance tunnel linked to the proposed Manori desalination project. The contract is valued at approximately ₹1,918 crore, including GST and operations and maintenance components.

The tunnel will connect the proposed pumping station at Manori with Charkop and Mahavir Nagar in Kandivali, creating the transmission route needed to carry desalinated water into Mumbai’s existing distribution network.

The tunnel is a key infrastructure component of the proposed 200 MLD Manori seawater desalination plant, which has provision for future expansion to 400 MLD. Earlier project information places the tunnel length at approximately 7.2 km.

The desalinated water is expected to undergo reverse-osmosis treatment followed by remineralisation before being introduced into the potable-water network. Reliable conveyance, pressure management and water-quality monitoring will therefore be critical to integrating the new source with the city’s existing supply system.

The award marks a progression from project approval and tendering to contractor appointment. However, construction schedules and commissioning timelines remain subject to mobilisation, tunnelling conditions, statutory requirements and coordination with the desalination plant.

For Mumbai, the project highlights the importance of transmission infrastructure in desalination development. The treatment plant itself can add new water-production capacity, but tunnels, pumping stations and distribution connections will ultimately determine how effectively that water reaches consumers.