Mumbai civic body approves Gargai dam ₹5,051cr budget, trims ₹345cr
Mumbai's civic body just approved a revised ₹5,051 crore budget for the much-talked-about Gargai Dam project.
This decision, made on April 1, came after some bargaining that trimmed ₹345 crore from the earlier proposal.
The dam is meant to help solve Mumbai's ongoing water shortage issues, but not everyone's convinced it's the right move, especially with costs jumping from the original ₹3,105 crore in 2020.
Opposition questions Gargai costs, ruling defends
Opposition leaders are questioning where all this extra money is going and pointing out that there hasn't been much visible progress or key clearances yet.
Environmental worries are also in play, with concerns about moving over 3 lakh trees and calls for exploring alternatives like desalination.
Meanwhile, ruling party members say the cost hike was necessary to secure Mumbai's water future and highlight that negotiations saved taxpayers a chunk of change.