Mumbai’s plan to rehabilitate the highly polluted Mithi River has moved a step forward, with a consortium led by Adani Transport emerging as the lowest bidder for the final engineering package of the long-delayed rejuvenation programme. The proposal, valued at approximately ₹1,700 crore, is now awaiting administrative clearance before work can commence.
The bid—submitted through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with Ashoka Buildcon and Akshaya Construction—was negotiated down from an earlier quote. According to a senior municipal official, the team initially proposed a cost 7.7% higher than the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s benchmark estimate. After rounds of negotiation, the premium was brought down to 7.1%. Other shortlisted bidders included Afcons and Hindustan Construction Company Limited. The works under Package 3 cover the stretch between Kurla’s CST bridge and the river mouth at Mahim, an area that has historically suffered severe flooding during heavy monsoon spells. The project has been designed as a flood-mitigation and river-infrastructure upgrade rather than a beautification effort, officials clarified.
Key interventions include installing 18 gate-pump assemblies at major outfalls—mechanisms that prevent tidal water from flowing backwards while enabling pumping during extreme rainfall. A large sewage pumping station is also being proposed, likely near Mahim’s fishing settlement, along with a dry-weather flow interceptor that will divert untreated wastewater towards the Dharavi wastewater treatment facility rather than into the river. “The intent is to strengthen hydraulic capacity and reduce the dependency on open drains,” said a civic engineer, noting that stormwater, sewage and tidal flows currently converge in the same corridor—an arrangement widely recognised as environmentally unsustainable. The tender also includes the construction of permanent retaining walls, sewer networks and service roads.
Importantly, the contractor will be required to operate and maintain the infrastructure for ten years after completion, signalling a shift toward performance-based public works contracts in Mumbai’s large-scale civic projects. Several features originally planned for this phase—such as an 8.8-kilometre riverside promenade and additional floodgates—have been removed to rationalise costs, bringing the revised tender estimate from ₹2,394 crore to ₹1,700 crore. Urban water experts say the project represents progress but cautioned that redesigning rivers solely through civil engineering solutions risks missing broader ecological goals such as restoring biodiversity, water quality and equitable public access.
For Mumbai, the outcome of this phase will determine whether the Mithi River continues as a polluted stormwater channel or evolves into a resilient urban waterway supporting climate-responsive planning and safer monsoon outcomes. Administrative approval is expected in early 2026, after which construction may begin.
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Adani-Led SPV Wins Lowest Bid For ₹1,700 Crore Mithi Project
