In December 2020, The Times of India reported that additional municipal commissioner P. Velarasu saw the planned 200 million litre a day desalination plant at Manori, about 200,000 m³/day, as removing the need for the Gargai-Pinjal dam and sparing 300,000 trees. The final decision rested with the chief minister. The BMC had asked the tourism corporation MTDC for 26 acres. Membrane technology and solar power from Modak Sagar were to cut costs from 40 to 30 rupees per 1,000 litres, while the BJP opposed the plan.
The report showed Mumbai presenting seawater desalination as an alternative to a large dam that would flood land and forest, citing lower expected costs from membranes and solar power.
Source: The Times of India