Mumbai pushes ahead with water and traffic tunnel projects

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has approved the Manori‑Kandivali water tunnel project, allocating about ₹1,527 crore for a 7.175 km underground conduit that will convey seawater desalinated at the Manori plant to the Kandivali water‑supply network. Construction, to be carried out by Afcons Infrastructure, is slated for 45 months, with a total contract period of 129 months for design, build and operation.

Separately, the ₹8,056 crore Orange Gate–Marine Drive tunnel, a 9.239 km underground road link, has completed 650 m of excavation. The twin‑bore tunnel, designed for speeds of up to 80 km/h, will connect Orange Gate near P’DeMello Road with Marine Drive, cutting travel time to roughly five minutes and easing congestion on South Mumbai’s surface roads. The project expects to handle about 14,650 vehicles per day by 2029.