“Damanganga – Pinjal river inter-linking project can quench the thirst of Mumbai and the MMR,” Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani

MUMBAI,02 November  2017: The state governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat will sign an agreement on the Damanganga – Pinjal river inter-linking project in the next few days, according to a statement by Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari. “This is positive news for Mumbai’s long-term water requirements and augurs well for the citizens of this bustling metropolis,” said Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani, CMD, Hiranandani Communities.

The importance of water resources has been acutely felt in Mumbai and the peripheral areas surrounding the city and suburbs. With existing water resources struggling to keep pace with rising demand across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), it is time to tap resources further away from Mumbai’s peripheral areas. In line with this, the Damanganga – Pinjal interstate river link project is among the important projects that could quench the thirst of  Mumbai and the MMR, said Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani.

The Damanganga-Pinjal project proposes to divert the surplus water of the Bhugad and Khargihill reservoirs in the Damanganga basin to Mumbai, via the Pinjal dam on the Pinjal river in the Vaitarna basin, said Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani. “The project is expected to provide 909 mld water daily, which will ensure drinking water supply to Mumbai till 2060,” he added.

The Union water resources minister, who is also the Union road transport and shipping minister made this comment at the 31st annual general meeting of the National Water Development Agency, which is working on the river inter-linking projects. The Hon’ble Minister said he had already spoken with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his Gujarat counterpart, Vijay Rupani, on the issue and added that both had consented to move ahead with the project, which aimed at taking care of the water requirements of Mumbai.

Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani is Founder & CMD, Hiranandani Group. His recent initiative is Hiranandani Communities. He is the Founder and First President (Maharashtra), National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), which works under the aegis of Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India.