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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

Mumbai Local Update: Central Railway Announces Power & Traffic Block At Kasara Today; Several Trains Short-Terminated, Regulated – Check Details Here

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Mumbai: Central Railway has announced special traffic and power blocks at Kasara station today, May 10. According to the railways, the power block will be carried out from 3.50 pm to 5.50 pm.

The railways said that suburban train services on both the UP and DOWN lines between Asangaon railway station and Kasara railway station will remain suspended during the block period. Due to this, several trains have been short-terminated at Asangaon and Kasara.

Train No. Kasara 19, which will depart at 1.10 pm, will be short-terminated at Asangaon at 3.22 pm.

Train No Kasara 21, which will depart from CSMT at 2.17 pm, will reach Asangaon at 4.04 pm.

Train No Kasara 23 will depart from CSMT at 2.46 pm and will be short-terminated at Asangaon at 4.49 pm.

Train No Kasara 24 will depart from Asagangaon instead of Kasara at 4.13 pm and reach CSMT 5.51 pm

Train No Kasara 26 will depart from Asagangaon at 4.54 pm and arrive at CSMT at 6.34 pm.

Train No Kasara 28 will depart from Asagangaon at 5.39 pm and reach CSMT at 7.19 pm.

Several train services have been affected due to operational reasons on the Central Railway route. Train No. 11071 LTT-Ballia Express will be regulated at Khardi station. Meanwhile, Train No. 13202 LTT-Rajgir Express will terminate at Atgaon, Train No. 12139 CSMT-Nagpur Express will terminate at Khadavli, and Train No. 12143 Panvel-Gorakhpur Express will terminate at Titvala station.

The Central Railways also informed passengers to take note of the last train towards Kasara before the power block. The train will depart from CSMT at 12.30 pm, while the last local towards CSMT will depart from Kasara at 2.42 pm.

After the block, the first local towards Kasara will depart from CSMT at 4.50 pm, while towards CSMT, the train will depart from Kasara at 6.17 pm.

Meanwhile, this also comes as Central Railway is carrying out mega block across the Mumbai Division as part of routine infrastructure upkeep and are aimed at ensuring the safety and reliability of suburban railway operations. As per the railway administration, Up and Down Fast Line block will be operated between Matunga and Mulund from 11.05 am to 3.45 pm. On the Trans Harbour line, a block is also underway on the Up and Down Line between Thane To Vashi/Nerul from 11.10 to and 4.10 pm.

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Crime

Thane Crime: Youth Stabbed By Brother-In-Law In Ulhasnagar Over Inter-Caste Marriage Dispute – Shocking Visuals Surface

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Thane: In a shocking incident, a daylight stabbing took place in Thane’s Ulhasnagar area, where a youth was allegedly stabbed by his brother-in-law over a family dispute linked to an inter-caste marriage. The incident occurred near the Ulhasnagar petrol pump near the Camp 5 area.

the victim, identified as Nagesh Chavan, was attacked at the petrol pump while returning home from work. The brother-in-law, identified as Shakil Khan, along with another person, confronted Nagesh at the spot. During the argument, Shakil allegedly stabbed Nagesh in the stomach, leaving him seriously injured.

The report added that Nagesh was initially taken to Central Hospital and later shifted to a Mumbai Hospital for further treatment. Visuals showed police present at the spot, and an investigation has been launched in the case. However, currently it is not known if Khan was arrested in the stabbing case.

According to the report, the incident was triggered by tensions within the family after Nagesh’s sister reportedly married outside the community.

Meanwhile, in another stabbing incident from Thane, a 20-year-old youth, Vishal Patekar, was fatally stabbed near Thane Railway Station while trying to save his 16-year-old friend during an attack linked to an old grudge. The injured teenager escaped, while the juvenile accused has been detained by Thane Railway Police on murder and attempted murder charges.

Just earlier this week, a 24-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death over a suspected affair in Mulund. The attack was allegedly triggered by the accused’s suspicion of an illicit relationship between the wife and the victim. Police added that remarks made earlier in the day may have provoked the accused, leading to the fatal assault.

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Maharashtra

BMC Identifies 162 Recurring Garbage Hotspots Across Mumbai Where Waste Keeps Returning

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has identified 162 recurring garbage hotspots across Mumbai, where waste continues to return despite repeated clean-ups. Flagged through inspections and citizen complaints, these sites expose weak enforcement on the ground. Ward offices have been directed to clear them immediately and ensure stricter measures to prevent further illegal dumping.

It has been observed that many of these hotspots lack basic community bin facilities, pushing some residents to dump waste openly instead of using designated collection points. The BMC has now directed ward offices to act decisively—ensure regular waste lifting, close service gaps, and actively sensitise residents to stop indiscriminate dumping in Mumbai. “The intent is to break the cycle of neglect that repeatedly turns these locations into garbage eyesores, and to push visible improvements in ground-level cleanliness,” said a senior civic official.

The BMC ward-wise assessment across Mumbai reveals uneven pressure points—some wards report as many as 28 garbage vulnerable locations, while others have relatively fewer. In comparison, the areas such as Bandra West, Khar West, and Santacruz West, has identified five such spots. The civic administration has now fixed ward-level targets, with performance set for strict review by the Municipal Commissioner.

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