CIDCO Launches Water Upgrade For Navi Mumbai Airport Zone
02 Jul 2025 CW Team
With the Navi Mumbai International Airport nearing commissioning and the wider Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA) poised for rapid growth, the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) has embarked on a far reaching water augmentation programme across Raigad district.
“We are not only meeting today’s demand, we are building resilient infrastructure for tomorrow,” said Vijay Singhal, CIDCO Vice Chairman and Managing Director.
Long term demand
CIDCO projects water needs in its own and NAINA jurisdictions will rise to 1,275 million litres per day by 2050. To meet this, the agency is expanding existing sources—Hetawane Dam, Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP), Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and MIDC—while developing new reservoirs at Balganga and Kondhane.
Key components
- Hetawane Water Supply Scheme: four phase upgrade to lift output to 270 MLD; completion targeted for June 2029. Current progress: treatment plant 41 per cent, raw water tunnel 8.5 per cent, clear water tunnels 25.7 per cent.
- Kondhane Dam (on the Ulhas River): initial supply 250 MLD, rising to 350 MLD; expected build time four to five years.
- Balganga Dam: parallel project to bolster long term capacity.
To bridge the gap before the new dams come online, the state has already sanctioned an additional 120 MLD from Hetawane, against a payment of Rs 1.198 billion. An expert consultant is redesigning the network to utilise this quota.
Expertise and oversight
International project management consultancies have been engaged to supervise tunnel boring, treatment plant construction and quality control, ensuring the works meet global standards.
Once complete, the integrated network will secure water for the airport precinct, CIDCO townships and Panvel Municipal Corporation, underpinning the vision of a “Third Mumbai” and safeguarding supplies for decades to come.