The new tree census inside the Tansa sanctuary—84 km northwest of Mumbai in Palghar district—which will be submerged under the proposed Gargai dam project, is expected to be completed in October. Depending on the number of trees, the BMC will start compensatory procedures. The dam is a key project to improve the water storage capacity of Mumbai.

The civic body has been trying for over a decade to start the long-pending Gargai dam project, which could add around 440 million litres per day (MLD) to the current supply of 3,850 MLD. The city currently needs more than 4,500 MLD of water, with this requirement expected to reach 5,000 MLD in the next few years.