Mumbai News: BMC To Appoint Consultant For Converting 600 Metric Tonnes Of STP Sludge Into Marketable Products

Mumbai: The ambitious project to upgrade seven sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Mumbai aims to treat 2,464 million litres of sewage per day (MLD). As part of the treatment process, it is estimated that 600 metric tonnes (MT) of sludge will be generated daily, which will be further processed at the respective facilities.

To explore converting sludge into useful by-products, the BMC plans to appoint a consultant to recommend suitable technologies and strategies that enable revenue generation at minimal cost.

Mumbai’s daily water demand stands at 4,463 MLD, while the BMC supplies 3,950 MLD, resulting in a shortfall of nearly 500 MLD. This gap is further worsened by 34% daily water loss, despite adequate water stock in seven lakes that supply drinking water to the city.

To address this, the BMC is upgrading seven advanced STPs at key locations Worli, Dharavi, Ghatkopar, Bhandup, Bandra, Versova, and Malad as part of a major wastewater management overhaul.

Once operational, these STPs will produce 1,232 MLD of tertiary-treated water. This treated water will be recycled for non-potable uses, easing the burden on Mumbai’s potable water supply.

However, the 600 MT of sludge generated daily through the STP process presents storage and transportation challenges. To address this, the BMC has invited tenders to appoint a consultant to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) assessing the potential to convert this sludge into marketable by-products.

On Tuesday, the BMC issued a tender with a bid submission deadline set for August 1. The consultant’s scope of work will include assessing the feasibility of producing useful products from the sludge, estimating costs, preparing tender documents for implementing the recommended solutions, and providing project management services during both the execution phase and the initial operation and maintenance period.

A senior civic official stated, “We cannot afford to spend additional funds on sludge processing. Therefore, we aim to engage an agency that will transport the sludge, process it into saleable products, and share a portion of the revenue with the BMC. This approach will save us capital expenditure, storage, transport, and maintenance costs—while also creating a new revenue stream for the corporation. All we need to provide is a land parcel. The consultant will evaluate the commercial viability of this model.”

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The STPs at Ghatkopar, Bhandup, and Versova are scheduled to be operational by 2026, followed by Worli, Bandra, and Dharavi in 2027, with the Malad plant expected to be completed by 2028. The total estimated project cost of STP project is approximately Rs. 27,309 crore.