A delegation of 15 BJP youth functionaries, most of them Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation corporators, has left for a week-long study tour of Israel to examine water management, smart-city systems and traffic management practices relevant to Mumbai.
The delegation will visit several cities, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The tour has been organised by the Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai, which hosted a farewell reception for the group last week.
Mumbai BJP chief and MLA Ameet Satam said the visit would allow the young leaders to study smart-city initiatives, water management, geopolitics and security solutions. He said the delegation would use the experience for Mumbai’s development.
BJP corporators Rohan Rathod, Sayali Kulkarni, Pratik Karpe and Tajinder Tiwana are among those taking part in the visit. Israel’s Consul General in Mumbai, Yaniv Revach, also wished the 15 leaders a safe and fruitful journey in a post on X.
The water-management component is expected to receive particular attention because of Mumbai’s contrasting water conditions, with heavy seasonal rainfall followed by periods of summer pressure. Rathod said the delegation would examine Israel’s wastewater-recycling systems and explore whether localised water-reclamation centres could reduce pressure on Mumbai’s freshwater lakes.
According to Rathod, Israel recycles close to 90% of its wastewater, primarily for secondary uses such as irrigation. He also said the delegation would study acoustic sensors and data analytics used to identify small leaks in underground pipelines before they result in major bursts or sinkholes. Such systems, he said, could help reduce Mumbai’s non-revenue water, referring to water lost through leakage or other distribution inefficiencies.
The delegation is also expected to examine Tel Aviv’s DigiTel model, a resident-facing digital platform that uses location-based information to provide updates on road closures, ward-level developments and civic emergencies. The system allows residents to report issues such as potholes and broken pipes to municipal workers and track their resolution, according to the report.
Traffic and parking management will form another part of the study tour. Israeli systems use real-time vehicle-flow data to adjust traffic-signal cycles, while integrated parking applications direct drivers towards available spaces. The delegation is expected to assess whether similar approaches could help manage congestion in Mumbai’s commercial areas.
The tour comes as Mumbai continues to face pressure on its water distribution network, roads and civic-response systems. Any adoption by the BMC would require decisions on funding, municipal technology systems, operating responsibilities and integration with existing civic infrastructure. The delegation is scheduled to spend one week in Israel before returning to Mumbai.
