Kolkata to get 90 km pipeline as KMC launches ₹350 cr project for filtered water supply

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has initiated a ₹350 crore infrastructure project to expand filtered water supply across southeastern parts of the city. Under this initiative, approximately 86 to 90 kilometers of new pipeline will be laid to carry filtered drinking water from two under-construction water treatment facilities in Dhapa and Garia. The civic body has set a target to complete the project by March-April.

According to KMC officials, a new water processing unit is being constructed beside the existing treatment plant in Dhapa. This new unit will have a capacity to produce around 20 million gallons of filtered water per day. Parallelly, another water treatment plant is being developed near the Garia Dhalai Bridge, which is expected to generate 10 million gallons of filtered water daily.

The pipeline layout has been divided between the two projects — with nearly 50 kilometers to be laid from the Dhapa plant and about 36–40 kilometers from the Garia unit. The project is being supervised by the KMC’s Planning and Development Department. The primary goal is to reduce dependence on groundwater in densely populated areas such as Tollygunge, Jadavpur, Garia, Bansdroni, Anandapur, Science City, and neighborhoods along the EM Bypass.

A KMC official stated that once the Dhapa plant becomes operational, 160 to 165 deep tube wells will be closed. The Garia project, once active, will allow for the closure of an additional 100 tube wells. The shift from groundwater to filtered surface water is expected to reduce extraction pressure and ensure more consistent water delivery to households.

The project also includes building essential infrastructure to connect treatment units to residential zones. Both plants and their connected pipelines are part of a broader plan to expand the filtered water supply network in southern and eastern Kolkata. The KMC has not announced any delays so far, and work is proceeding at both sites.