The closure of dumping grounds and scientific processing of waste in Mumbai, seems to be a distant dream
The closure of dumping grounds and scientific processing of waste in Mumbai, seems to be a distant dream. As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wants societies to process its own waste to reduce the burden from the already full dumping grounds, it is unable to process the waste collected over the years at Mulund dumping ground. The BMC has also failed to attract contractors for closing the Mulund dumping ground by processing waste even after a year. The civic body has issued tenders thrice in the past and is likely to publish a fresh tender again.
The Mulund dumping ground. File Pic
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The HC had put a ban on new constructions in Mumbai in 2016, until the BMC increases its waste treatment capacity. The BMC had been asked to augment the capacity to at least 11,000 tonnes a day by June 30, 2017 and thus aiming to adhere to HC order, BMC tried fast-tracking the Mulund waste processing plant, but to no avail. It has now started asking housing societies and bulk generators to start processing waste so that the quantum of waste reaching the dumping yards is reduced.
To woo bidders towards their ambitious closure of the Mulund dumping ground project, the BMC has allowed 20 hectares of Taloja land where waste processing unit is planned on lease to the contractors so that the inert waste could be processed and help them. Inert waste is neither chemically nor biologically reactive and will not decompose like sand or concrete. BMC has also agreed to allow joint ventures between three contractors to bid.
The civic body has been revising tender conditions every time and has also been giving several deadline extensions, but around August this year, a new tender was floated but the BMC could get just two bids in response. Officials said that whether these bids meet the qualification criteria or not is yet to be ascertained but just two bidders for such a big project is not what they want and that they might have to consider reissuing tenders for the Mulund dumping ground closure project. The project was to process 60 lakh metric tonnes of waste in an area of about 4 hectares and is pegged at Rs 650 crore.
Mulund is the second largest dumping ground in the city after Deonar and has crossed its maximum capacity. Following repeated fires at the dump yards, the Bombay high court in February said the BMC would not be allowed to dump any more waste at the sites from June 30, 2017.
A senior civic official on request of anonymity, said, " The civic officials said that apart from re-inviting tenders, and processing waste at source, we are also looking for other viable options to process waste." However, Additional Municipal Commissioner, said, "So far we have two bids, and we are yet to know whether they fit the qualification criteria or not and it is only after this we will decide our further course of action."
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