Phase II: BMC gets just one bidder every time it floats waste tender

The organic waste convertors at KNP Market near Plaza Cinema

Even after successfully setting up organic waste convertors at four markets across the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is finding it difficult to get bidders for the second phase as part of which 18 such convertors would be set up to process the waste generated by 67 markets at a cost of Rs 37 crore. Each of the three times the civic body floated the tender for the second phase, only a single bidder came forward.

Officials from the civic body's Markets Department said that as part of the pilot project, two waste convertors were set up last year, while two others were commissioned in March this year. "In the first phase, we set up the waste convertors in four markets, including Sainath Market in Malad, Meenatai Thackeray Flower Market in Dadar and KNP Market near Plaza Cinema. Two of them are currently being tested, the process for which got delayed due to electricity supply issues," said Sangeeta Hasnale, assistant municipal commissioner (markets).

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She added that the four convertors cumulatively process 27 metric tonnes of waste on a daily basis. Admitting that the procedure has not been that smooth with the second phase of the project, she said, "Every time we floated the tender, only a single bidder came forward. Maybe they are facing some difficulty in understanding the tender. This time, we plan to take the companies that deal with waste convertors for a site visit to the markets where the machines have been set up. We will then float the tender in June."

Apart from those covered in the pilot phase, there are 67 municipal retail markets that produce around 42 metric tonnes of solid waste comprising vegetables and fish carcass every day.

According to civic sources, the capacity of each waste convertor depends on the daily waste output of a particular market. Based on the pace of work, officials from the Markets Department said that by December all the machines would become functional and the waste from markets would no longer have to be taken to the dumping grounds.

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