State-run ONGC has received the coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) clearance for setting up a seawater desalination plant at its Uran unit in Raigad, Maharashtra at a cost of Rs 266.40 crore, according to an official letter issued to the company.
The proposal is to set up a seawater desalination plant with a capacity to process 20 million litres per day (MLD). The proposed site is about 380 meters away from the high tide line (HTL) of Arabian Sea, along the western coast of India.
Desalination is a process to remove dissolved minerals from feed water sources such as seawater and brackish water. Desalination of seawater is being increasingly adopted worldwide to cope with the deficit in availability of potable water.
In the letter, the environment ministry said it has given the CRZ clearance for establishing a desalination plant in Maharashtra after taking into account the recommendation of its expert panel.
The approval is subject to compliance of certain conditions such as obtaining of 'no objection certificate' from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board for discharge of brine water into the sea after necessary safeguards, it said.
The proposed desalination plant will be set up within the gas processing facility of ONGC Uran. About 8,750 square meter area has been earmarked for this purpose. The cost of the project is estimated at Rs 266.40 crore.
According to ONGC, the proposed project will cater process water and drinking water to the tune of 18 MLD and 2 MLD, respectively. It will help the company reduce its dependence on the State Water Supply Board.
Exploration giant ONGC contributes 72 percent to the country's total crude oil production and 48 percent of natural gas. It owns and operates 11,000 km of pipelines in the country and produces more than 1.27 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.
