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Maharashtra

Mumbai’s ₹11,166 Crore Desalination Project Advances As BMC Seeks MMB, MPCB Clearances

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Mumbai: After securing a key milestone with Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for its proposed 400 Million Litres per day (MLD) seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant at Manori village in the west, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has advanced to the next stage of regulatory approvals.

The civic body has now initiated the process of obtaining permissions from the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), which are crucial to move the project forward.

Earlier, the BMC secured approval from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) in 2023 through an offline process, followed by online clearance in April after procedural revisions.

The mandatory CRZ clearance from the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) was obtained by the end of April.

Approvals from the MMB and the MPCB are also required for desalination projects, given their environmental implications — particularly seawater intake and the discharge of concentrated brine — ensuring full compliance with state environmental regulations and the CRZ Notification.

“We are in the process of obtaining two key approvals — MMB and MPCB — after which groundwork can begin. A drone survey has been completed, and land at Manori has been handed over by the state, with formalities underway.

Desalinated water will be conveyed from Manori to Charkop and onward to the tunnel shaft at Mahavir Nagar in Kandivali. A tender for the conveyance tunnel has also been floated,” a senior official said.

Amid concerns that El Niño conditions could lead to below-normal monsoon rainfall in Mumbai and across Maharashtra, the proposed desalination plant — the state’s first large-scale potable water project — is being positioned as a key measure to strengthen the city’s long-term water security.

The BMC awarded the contract to GVPR Engineers Limited in December 2025.

The project will be implemented in phases, beginning with a 200 MLD facility that is scalable up to 400 MLD.

It is estimated to cost Rs 11,166.17 crore, including around Rs 4,077 crore for construction, along with 20 years of operations and maintenance, power costs, taxes and full lifecycle expenses.

Maharashtra

Hateful statements, obscenity in the name of entertainment will not be tolerated, strict action will be taken: Mayor Ritu Tawde

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Mumbai: The hospital administration has formed an inquiry committee in the case of hate speech made by Sejal Pawar, a medical student of KEM Hospital, in the live show of stand-up comedian Preneet More. Hate speech in the name of entertainment will not be tolerated. The hospital administration has been directed to take strict action in this matter, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde has clarified.

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde has reacted strongly to the entire incident and has appealed to artists and content creators to be aware of social responsibility. Two clips of stand-up comedian Preneet More’s show that are going viral on social media are causing great anger among the citizens. In the first clip, a man named Himanshu Jagda narrated an incident of degrading treatment of a woman, while in the second clip, Sejal Pawar, a medical student of KEM Hospital, made extremely hateful, obscene and offensive comments about the bodies of men who had donated their bodies for medical education. In both these cases, comedian Praneet laughed and clapped instead of objecting. Taking notice of the insensitivity in both these clips, the Maharashtra Cyber ​​Police took immediate action and registered a case. Clarifying the municipal corporation’s stand on the matter and fully supporting the legal action, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde explained that the Maharashtra Cyber ​​Department has taken action. Apart from this, the KEM Hospital administration has also appointed a committee to investigate Sejal Pawar. The Mayor clarified that the hospital administration has been directed to take strict action in this matter. Mayor Tawde further said that freedom of expression is a very important part of democracy, but in the name of this freedom, content that insults women, obscenity, hate speech, hateful content or content that sends the wrong message to the society cannot be accepted under any circumstances. Everyone should respect boundaries while discussing sensitive issues related to women, consent and the medical sector in a public forum. Mumbai is a city of culture, art and freedom of thought. However, it is the collective responsibility of all to ensure that no one’s dignity is violated in the name of entertainment. Since social media has a great influence on the youth, the impact of such content on society should be seriously considered. Everyone should be sensitive to this. All artists, digital content creators and social media influencers should preserve their creative talents while maintaining a sense of social interest, sensitivity and morality. Citizens should also behave responsibly on social media and strongly oppose things that promote hatred, obscenity and anti-women mentality, Ritu Tawde has also appealed on this occasion.

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Maharashtra

MLA Abu Asim Azmi demands Interior Minister to allow Muharram sermons and gatherings until 9pm

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Mumbai: In view of the importance of the holy days of Muharram, the time of public religious speeches, sermons and gatherings held during this period should be extended from 10 am to 12 pm, MLA Abu Asim Azmi has sent a memorandum to the state Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis, making this strong demand.

MLA Azmi has said in his letter that public speeches, sermons and gatherings are organized in different areas at night during Muharram, in which a large number of devotees participate. Currently, Maghrib prayers are offered at around 7 pm, after which a lot of time is spent until the Isha prayers are completed. The police administration is currently allowing only up to 10 pm, due to which very little time is required for the actual program after the prayers. Due to this shortage of time, there is anxiety among Muslims and they are not able to fully benefit from these religious speeches.

In view of this situation, with full respect for law and order, this time should be extended till 12 midnight for the scheduled dates of Muharram. MLA Abu Asim Azmi has demanded that the Home Minister himself intervene in the matter and immediately issue positive orders to the police administration. Copies of this memorandum have also been sent to the Chief Minister and Mumbai Police Joint Commissioner (Law and Order) Devin Bharti for necessary action.

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Maharashtra

Mira Road C-Queen Palace Orchestra Bar raided, 12 women recovered, 9 arrested

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A team led by DCP Rahul Chavan of Mira Road Police Commissionerate, Circle 1, raided the Sea Queen Palace Orchestra Bar in front of Daraz Dhaba on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway under the limits of Kashigaon Police Station on Mira Road. During the raid, the police rescued 12 women. A cashier and 8 waiters were arrested, including the driver, owner and manager of the bar who are absconding. During the raid, Rs 50,000 in cash was seized. Along with this, illegal stocks of whiskey and beer were seized. Further investigation is underway in the case. It is said that an illegal dance and entertainment party was going on in the bar. During this, the police raided and arrested the accused and also released 12 dancers.

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