India, May 19 -- After sanctioning the Gargai drinking water project for Mumbai, the state water resources department has come up with a tender to acquire land for the Kalu water supply project in Thane district. More than 999 hectares of forest land and 1,260 hectares of private land will be acquired for the project. The exact number of trees to be cut is still not known.

Ravi Pawar, executive engineer of the irrigation department's Bhatsa water supply project, said that four firms had applied for the tender. "The project will cost Rs.4,000 crore and the costs will be borne by MMRDA," he said. "Six villages will be fully acquired and five others will be partially acquired. We have started the process of acquiring the land."

In mid-Apri...