Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has approached the Maharashtra government seeking allocation of 27,967 sq metres of land to facilitate the expansion of the Worli Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), intensifying an ongoing dispute over land use in the area.
According to officials, the civic body has written to the state government requesting a revision of an earlier order that had reduced the reserved land for the project to 17,756 sq metres. The BMC has argued that the reduced allocation is insufficient for the needs of the upgraded facility.
The land in question falls within a proposed slum rehabilitation township involving areas such as Jijamata Nagar and nearby localities. If the revised demand is accepted, a larger portion of the land would be earmarked for civic infrastructure instead of housing projects.
Officials said the additional land is crucial for expanding the STP under the Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project, including installation of advanced treatment systems, potable water conversion units, storage, and sludge-handling infrastructure.
Apart from sewage treatment, the civic body has also cited the need to protect key underground utilities and facilitate maintenance work. Departments such as storm water drains and bridges have sought portions of the land for nullah reconstruction, desilting, and bridge inspection access.
The issue is currently under scrutiny of the Bombay High Court, which had earlier halted construction on the site and sought the state government’s response on the revised land requirement.
The BMC has termed the expansion a “vital public purpose project,” stressing that increasing population and sewage load in Mumbai necessitate a larger treatment capacity. If approved, the move could significantly reshape redevelopment plans in the Worli area while strengthening the city’s wastewater infrastructure.
