The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has invited tenders for the construction of the Kondhane Dam in Karjat Taluka, Raigad district, to address the future water requirements of Navi Mumbai and surrounding areas.
This project is pivotal in meeting the growing demand for water in the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), the Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA), and the broader Navi Mumbai region. The Kondhane Dam Is planned to be constructed on the Ulhas River and is expected to provide an additional 250 million litres per day (MLD) of water. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 1,348 crore and aims to benefit approximately 1.85 million people, based on a per capita water requirement of 135 litres per day. If all goes according to schedule, the dam will commence supplying water to Navi Mumbai and nearby areas within the next five years.
Currently, Navi Mumbai’s water supply is drawn from multiple sources, including the Hetawane Water Supply Scheme, Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran’s (MJP) Patalganga Project, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s (NMMC) Morbe Dam Project, and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation’s (MIDC) Barvi Dam Project. With the city’s rapid urbanisation and population growth, CIDCO projects that the Navi Mumbai and NAINA regions will require approximately 1,275 MLD of water per day by 2034.
The Kondhane Dam, located on the Ulhas River, was initially conceived as an irrigation project, with a Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by the Konkan Irrigation Development Corporation (KIDC) in 2006-07. However, construction, which began in 2011, was halted due to various challenges. In 2017, the responsibility for the project was transferred to CIDCO, which now aims to complete the dam to support the region’s water needs. According to CIDCO officials, the dam will leverage the 53.25 sq. km catchment area, which receives an average rainfall of 4,200 mm, ensuring sufficient water to fill the dam’s storage capacity of 115.98 million cubic metres (MCM).
This capacity will be critical in securing a steady water supply for the rapidly expanding Navi Mumbai metropolitan area. With the tender process now open, CIDCO is moving forward to appoint a contractor for this crucial infrastructure project. Upon completion, the Kondhane Dam is expected to play a significant role in meeting the escalating water demands of one of India’s fastest-growing urban centres.
