The Hetawane Water Supply Augmentation Scheme, aimed at ensuring reliable water supply to Navi Mumbai, is set to achieve a milestone today with the first tunnel breakthrough at Shaft-4 in Wahal village, which comes under Water Tunnel Package-1. 

Being executed by CIDCO and implemented by Afcons Infrastructure, the project is designed to meet rising water demand in Navi Mumbai and other Cidco-developed areas. It involves construction of a 13.25-km raw water tunnel and a 15.4-km treated water tunnel. Once completed, the scheme will raise CIDCO’s water supply capacity from 120 million litres per day to 270 MLD. Officials noted that this is “the first time Cidco is undertaking a tunnelling project,” highlighting its scale and complexity. 

The work has faced challenges such as hard Deccan Sahyadri rock formations and deep tunnelling nearly 100 mtrs. below ground. Despite these hurdles, steady progress is expected to strengthen long-term water security as urban growth continues.