MUMBAI: The proposed desalination project at Manori has moved a step closer, with the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) recommending it for Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance, subject to conditions. The clearance came at a March 25 meeting, with the authority passing on the project file to the Union environment ministry for approval.BMC plans to set up a 400 MLD seawater desalination plant at Manori, with 200 MLD to be taken up in Phase I. An official said that with Mumbai’s rising population and increasing water demand, desalination remains one of the few viable longterm options to address water scarcity in the suburban region.
As per project documents, the site falls across CRZ-I(B), CRZ-III, and CRZ-IV categories, with a small portion within a 50-metre mangrove buffer zone. The project will use a two-stage desalination process — seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) followed by brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO) — along with an energy recovery system and cleaning infrastructure.Marine work includes laying intake and outfall pipelines, installing diffuser systems on the seabed and discharging treated brine into the sea. While granting its recommendation, the MCZMA imposed several conditions, including strict adherence to CRZ norms, protection of mangroves, ensuring that tidal flow is not obstructed during pipeline laying and implementing robust measures to manage brine discharge. BMC has also been asked to ensure that local fishing activities are not affected and that all debris from construction is scientifically processed outside CRZ areas.The environment impact assessment (EIA) report flagged potential impacts on the marine ecosystem, particularly due to brine discharge. It stated that with proper diffuser systems, the increase in salinity would be limited to slightly above ambient seawater levels, minimising ecological damage within a confined mixing zone.Experts in the authority raised concerns over the impact on marine life and fishing activity. In response, BMC said mitigation measures have been built into the design. These include multiple diffuser ports for rapid dilution, careful selection of discharge locations and maintaining adequate distance between intake and outfall points to prevent recirculation. The authority also said that no desalination activity is proposed within the Manori creek, a key fishing zone, following consultations with local fishing communities.
