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• The ambitious Middle Vaitarna project that has missed at least two deadlines in the past will be commissioned in July 2012. It promises to bridge the demand and supply gap by providing an additional 455 million litres of the water to the city daily.

• Water supply and sewerage, which account for 26% of the total budget, have got Rs 2,479 crore. The department will concentrate on finishing ongoing projects rather than taking on new ones. Besides the Middle Vaitarna project, two reservoirs will be commissioned this year- Malabar Hill to Cross Maidan, and Veravali to Yari Road.

• A provision of Rs 905 crore has been made for four underground tunnels from Gundavali to Bhandup, Maroshi to Ruparel via Vakola and Mahim, Powai to Verawali and Ghatkopar reservoir, and Malabar hill to Cross Maidan. The tunnels are aimed at increasing supply to parts of South Mumbai.

• In a bid to reduce contamination, the civic body has also decided to enhance quality control in water supply . It will upgrade water laboratories where collection and testing of water samples is done. "The existing infrastructure allows us to test only about 350 samples in a day. We will be increasing the testing capacity to 1,000 samples by the end of this year," said additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar, adding that there would also be a change in the methodology. "Earlier, we would collect samples whenever there were complaints of contamination in certain areas. But now, once the facilities are upgraded , we will collect samples from all areas irrespective of contamination complaints," she said.

• The pilot project, which was implemented in Mulund for 24x7 water supply, will be extended elsewhere.Based on the Bombay High Court's orders, encroachments along water pipelines will also be removed.

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