MUMBAI, Sept. 21 -- The BMC has carried out compensatory afforestation of over 10,000 trees on the foothills of Tansa Lake as part of the Gargai dam project which is expected to provide an additional 400 million litres per day (MLD) to the BMC's current supply of 4,000 MLD. This April, the State Board for Wildlife cleared the proposal for constructing the dam while the clearance from the National Board for Wildlife is in the final stages, said BMC hydraulic engineer Purushottam Malwade. As the approval process continues, the civic body plans to go on with the compensatory greening. Around 292,000 trees will be axed for the Gargai project. The project also requires six villages to be relocated. "The area recovered from the relocation of Ogda and Khodade villages will be used for additional afforestation," Malwade said. The BMC has also taken up construction of a new water treatment plant in its Bhandup complex, where water flows in from the Modak Sagar and Tansa lakes in Thane district. The current treatment plant is over 100 years old; however, it can only be dismantled after the new plant is constructed. The plant's current capacity is 1,910 MLD which will go up to 2,200 MLD at the cost of 1,200 trees in the complex. While efforts to cover additional water requirements are in place, the city's changing monsoon pattern has proved beneficial. "Last year, the monsoon continued till October end, while the water stock is planned from October 1," said Malwade. He added, "Similarly, this year, the onset of monsoon was declared earlier than usual on May 26, which led to the lakes reaching 100% capacity. We have more than sufficient water to cover the demands of the city till next year."...