The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has earmarked Rs 71 crore for a comprehensive project aimed at cleaning Powai Lake by tackling untreated sewage and other pollutants. Work will include rerouting sewer flows, building a wastewater treatment plant, and safeguarding the lake’s wildlife, notably its crocodiles, so harmful nutrients do not fuel rapid hyacinth growth.
Powai Lake, once praised for its rich flora and fauna, has lost ground in recent months because 18 million litres of raw sewage still pour in every day. Members of the Advanced Locality Management committee and the NatConnect Foundation have flagged the crisis, citing a National Green Tribunal order that now demands swift action. Dense mats of hyacinth only make matters worse by blocking light, cutting off oxygen, and smothering fish and plants. In the meantime, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has begun diverting sewer lines, with on-site civil work now in progress. The contract was awarded to Swastik Constructions through an electronic tendering process and officially started on July 21; completion is expected within eighteen months, at a budget of Rs 3.82 crore. This work is vital for reducing contaminants entering the lake and for improving overall water quality.
Complementing the diversion, a new sewage treatment plant (STP) is planned at an estimated cost of Rs 68.88 crore; the facility should drastically cut the volume of untreated sewage that reaches the water body. Although bids for the STP were due to be opened in June, the results are still pending, leaving the overall schedule in limbo. Although BMC has deployed mechanical harvesters to control the thick blanket of water hyacinth, the invasive plant continues to thrive, mainly because untreated sewage keeps fertilising its growth. Environmentalists with the advocacy group NatConnect have pointed to wider ecological risks, including the safety of crocodiles recorded along the shore. Excessive hyacinth is choking oxygen levels and disrupting food webs, thereby undermining the lake’s natural cleansing processes.
In line with wider conservation initiatives, NatConnect has formally approached the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and requested immediate action. Responding to the appeal, the ministry directed the state environment director to implement suitable measures, thereby confirming the seriousness of the problem. The newly devised clean-up plan stands as a pivotal step toward restoring Powai Lake’s fragile ecology. With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s stated support, both local residents and environmentalists are optimistic that the work will secure the water body’s biodiversity and pass a healthier lake on to coming generations.
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BMC Unveils Rs 71 Crore Plan to Clean Powai Lake
