Mumbai: Concerned about the impact of the proposed desalination plant at Manori on the livelihoods of fisher communities, around 1,500 fishermen from Madh, Manori, Uttan and other villages along the city’s western coastline are likely to participate in a rally on Friday to oppose the project.
High impact The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the project, a copy of which is with HT, conceded that nearly 70% of the population in the project area was directly or indirectly dependent on fishing and allied activities such as boat and catamaran repairs, net weaving and fish trading.
Mussel collection, lobster fishing, shore-seine fishing, deep-sea fishing and other fishing-related activities were also major occupations, the report said. Though the EIA report said that the discharge would comply with standards stipulated by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), fisherfolk in the project area are not convinced.
The proposed project comprises a 400 million litres per day (MLD) seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant. The plant will be developed in two phases of 200 MLD each, at a cost of ₹ 2,066 crore for the first phase and ₹ 1,371 crore for the second phase. Once operational, it will greatly augment Mumbai’s water supply, and help combat shortage, especially when the monsoon is lean.
