Construction cost was expected to increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is getting bids at a lower cost. The Standing Committee approved a contractor to reconstruct the wall at Malad reservoir at nearly 30 per cent less than the estimated cost on Friday. The administration said the contractor is ready as his machinery and manpower are lying idle due to the pandemic.

On July 1, 2019, a part of the compound wall near the Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) at Malad collapsed after heavy rainfall. The rest of the wall that was damaged was then demolished. The hydraulic engineering department sent a proposal to the Standing Committee to approve a contractor to build the wall again. As per the estimation of the BMC, the cost of the reconstruction of the 210 metre wide and 6 metre tall wall was R1.48 crore, but the lowest bidder is ready to build it at Rs 1.04 crore which is less than 29.85 per cent of the estimated cost.