A week after the civic standing committee stalled a proposal to wash Mumbai’s roads to curb dust pollution , the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is considering using treated sewage water from its sewage treatment plants (STPs) for the exercise.

Currently, the BMC has only one operational STP, in Colaba, with a capacity to treat 37 million litres per day (MLD). This accounts for just 1.68 per cent of the 2,190 MLD of sewage generated in Mumbai daily.

Last week, the BMC had tabled a Rs 8.13-crore proposal before the civic standing committee to carry out round-the-clock water sprinkling on roads. The exercise helps trap dust particles on road surfaces, preventing them from becoming airborne and lingering in the lower atmosphere.

The drive is undertaken annually. However, Mumbai is currently facing a water shortage , with a 10 per cent cut in supply following deficient monsoon rainfall and the early withdrawal of the southwest monsoon.…