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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has proposed setting up a special land acquisition cell to address delays in the Gargai dam project in Palghar. The move follows concerns over pending land acquisition and a cost increase of around 9 per cent. A temporary team of 10 revenue officials is planned to handle the remaining work in phases. While a major portion of the required land has been acquired, key parcels are still pending due to fragmentation. The project is expected to add around 440-450 MLD to Mumbai's water supply once completed.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has put forward a proposal to create a dedicated land acquisition cell to speed up the stalled Gargai dam project in Palghar district. The proposal came after the civic standing committee held back approval, citing delays in land acquisition and a cost escalation of nearly 9 per cent in the overall project. Advertisement
As part of the plan, the civic body has suggested appointing a 10-member team from the revenue department on a temporary basis. This team is expected to include two additional collectors, four deputy collectors and four tehsildars. Their appointment is planned for a one-year period starting April 1, 2026, and ending March 31, 2027. The work will be carried out in two phases, with half the officers deployed in the first six months and the remaining officials handling the next phase.
The administration has indicated that officers from the collector's office and revenue department will be directly involved in completing the acquisition process, with their costs to be borne by the BMC. Officials believe that having a dedicated team will improve coordination between departments and help clear pending cases faster. It has been conveyed internally that focused handling of land matters could reduce delays that have affected the project timeline so far.
The project requires a total of 658 hectares of land, mainly for compensatory afforestation and rehabilitation of project-affected people. Out of this, around 574 hectares have already been acquired. However, about 84 hectares are still pending, largely due to the challenge of acquiring contiguous land parcels across different regions. The required land is spread across districts such as Chandrapur, Hingoli and Washim, making the process more complex and time-consuming.
The Gargai dam is part of Mumbai's long-term water supply planning. Once completed, it is expected to add around 440-450 million litres per day (MLD) to the city's supply. At present, Mumbai's daily water demand is estimated at about 4,200 MLD, while supply remains lower, leading to periodic shortages. The addition from Gargai is expected to help reduce this gap and support future population growth.
The project has been facing delays for several years due to multiple factors, including environmental clearances, rehabilitation requirements and rising costs. In the past, concerns were also raised about the financial outlay and incomplete land acquisition, leading to revisions in the proposal. The dam is expected to be one of the major new water sources for Mumbai after the Middle Vaitarna project, which was commissioned in 2014.
Apart from land-related issues, the project also involves environmental obligations such as compensatory afforestation and relocation of affected villages. These aspects have required coordination with multiple agencies and have added to the overall timeline. Authorities have been working to balance infrastructure development with environmental and social requirements, which has further slowed progress.
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