BMC scraps desalination project tender
ECONOMY & POLICY

BMC scraps desalination project tender

BMC had scrapped the tendering process for the much-anticipated desalination project, which aimed to increase the city's water supply by 200 million liters per day (MLD), due to a lack of suitable bidders. Despite multiple deadline extensions since December 2023, the project failed to attract participants, leading civic authorities to investigate the reasons for the lack of interest.

The most recent bid extension ended on August 29. A senior civic official explained that, despite extending the deadline several times, they either received one bid or none at all. Therefore, it was decided to cancel the tendering process, as further extensions no longer seemed viable. However, the official assured that the project remained a priority and would not be rushed, adding that experts would be consulted to determine the reasons for the limited interest.

In February 2021, the BMC had appointed an Israeli company to draft a detailed proposal for the project. SMEC India was later hired in January 2022 to review the study and designs prepared by the Israeli firm. A tender notice was issued on December 4, 2023, for the construction of a plant to convert saline water into potable water.

Previously, Congress had raised allegations of cartelisation in the tender process, accusing the conditions of being manipulated to favour a specific bidder. They had called on the BMC to provide an explanation and urged the cancellation of the entire tender process if the allegations were proven true.

BMC had scrapped the tendering process for the much-anticipated desalination project, which aimed to increase the city's water supply by 200 million liters per day (MLD), due to a lack of suitable bidders. Despite multiple deadline extensions since December 2023, the project failed to attract participants, leading civic authorities to investigate the reasons for the lack of interest. The most recent bid extension ended on August 29. A senior civic official explained that, despite extending the deadline several times, they either received one bid or none at all. Therefore, it was decided to cancel the tendering process, as further extensions no longer seemed viable. However, the official assured that the project remained a priority and would not be rushed, adding that experts would be consulted to determine the reasons for the limited interest. In February 2021, the BMC had appointed an Israeli company to draft a detailed proposal for the project. SMEC India was later hired in January 2022 to review the study and designs prepared by the Israeli firm. A tender notice was issued on December 4, 2023, for the construction of a plant to convert saline water into potable water. Previously, Congress had raised allegations of cartelisation in the tender process, accusing the conditions of being manipulated to favour a specific bidder. They had called on the BMC to provide an explanation and urged the cancellation of the entire tender process if the allegations were proven true.

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

TRAI Evaluates Telecom Service in Nine Cities

In December 2024, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) conducted Independent Drive Tests (IDT) across nine cities, highways, and railway routes, including Aligarh, Bhubaneswar, Jammu, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Raipur, Siliguri, Thiruvananthapuram, and the Vapi-Rewari Highway. The tests aimed to assess the quality of voice and data services provided by telecom operators such as Bharti Airtel, BSNL/MTNL, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea using various technologies like 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G. The drive tests evaluated Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for both voice and data services, includi..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Kolkata to Host North East Trade & Investment Roadshow

Kolkata is set to host the North East Trade & Investment Roadshow on March 7, 2025, at Hotel JW Marriott, starting at 10:30 a.m. Organized by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) in collaboration with FICCI and Invest India, the event aims to attract investors and promote economic opportunities in the North East. The roadshow will be graced by Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, Minister of State for MDoNER & Education, along with Shri Dharmvir Jha, Statistical Adviser, MDoNER, and senior representatives from all eight North Eastern states. The event will feature presentations on ke..

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

India’s Rooftop Solar Installations Surge by 86% in 2024

India added 3.2 GW of rooftop solar capacity in 2024, marking an 86% increase from the previous year, according to Mercom India Research’s latest Q4 & Annual 2024 India Rooftop Solar Market Report. The surge was largely fueled by the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, with the residential sector accounting for 74% of the total installations. In the wind power sector, NLC India and Adyant Enersol (Datta Infra) secured bids in SJVN’s auction for 600 MW of inter-state transmission system-connected wind projects. NLC India won 200 MW at a tariff of Rs 3.74/kWh, while Adyant Enersol secured 112..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?