In order to fast track service towards citizens through e-governance, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to use artificial intelligence (AI). The decision was made at a high-level meeting chaired by Mumbai’s municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide on Friday.

According to the civic administration, an integrated law management system or ILMS system will be developed by authorities to fast track ongoing legal cases. At present, citizens can use a WhatsApp chatbot to raise civic complaints. Civic officials maintained that in order to ensure quick service delivery, the authorities will set up a common dashboard to enable citizens to raise civic complaints. BMC will also implement a 3D GIS map of Mumbai to conceptualise and implement several urban planning projects.

After taking charge as the civic body chief, Bhide directed authorities to expedite the process of acquiring necessary permissions to construct a proposed desalination plant at Manori. The plant is set to treat 200 MLD saline water daily to make it fit for potable purposes. BMC also intends to expand the capacity of this plant to 400 MLD. This project is expected to boost Mumbai’s daily quota of water supply by a significant margin – a promise made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led the Mahayuti alliance in its manifesto ahead of the civic elections.

Bhide also directed the sewage operation department to hasten the ongoing sewage treatment plant (STP) project under which the authorities aim to construct seven state-of-the-art STPs in Mumbai. These STPs will have a collective capacity to recycle 2,464 MLD of water daily, thus boosting Mumbai’s overall water supply by a significant margin.

Bhide directed authorities to fast track constructing these tunnels and prioritise the completion of water conveyance tunnel projects between Amar Mahal and Trombay, and Kasheli to Mulund. These tunnels will boost the supply capacity of water to Mumbai, bringing down chances of water leakage from the pipelines.