Can treated sea water solve Mumbai’s growing water shortage?

Bhavika JainTIMESOFINDIA.COMUpdated: Aug 25, 2026, 20:30 IST IST

In 2009, when Mumbai faced one of its worst water shortages, the city’s residents and commercial establishments had to deal with daily water cuts. The state unsuccessfully experimented with ‘cloud seeding’ and the beleaguered city’s civic body proposed setting up a desalination plant so that the island city wouldn’t have to rely on rains for its water needs.
Over 15 years later, that proposal for a desalination plant is finally moving towards reality, even as the gap between water supply and demand grows in the city.