Marine water quality assessment at Mumbai West Coast

In recent past, Mumbai Municipal corporation was not able to keep pace with required infrastructural facilities due to unprecedented population growth. Sewage disposal is one of the major issues, which needed immediate attention because huge quantity of sewage with only preliminary treatment is disposed into the nearby coastal areas and has deteriorated the water quality of the near coastal region. World Bank assisted Bombay Sewage Disposal Project (BSDP) undertaken by the Municipal Corporation of Bruhan Mumbai (MCBM) envisaged sewage discharges through marine outfalls at Worli and Bandra and treatment by aerated lagoons for other areas before disposal in creeks. During BSDP programme, studies were undertaken on water quality assessment along the west coast of Mumbai before and after commissioning of the Worli outfall. A pre- and post-commissioning water quality database for selected parameters was generated for near shore as well as west coast region up to 5 km seaward distance to assess the efficacy of the Worli outfall and delineate the areas affected around diffuser location of the outfall due to sewage disposal. This paper presents observations of the coastal studies at Mumbai and the impact zone of Worli outfall.