Mulund dumping ground closure still in limbo

The BMC had overshot several deadlines to close the dump yard

Even though the process to shut down Mulund dumping ground began three years ago, the work hasn't gathered the required momentum due to multiple issues. The contractor wasn't able to resolve the issue of management of the ash, which is the final residue of the scientific procedure on the waste. Manpower shortage due to lockdown, and monsoon were the other reasons for the delay.

Mulund was the second-largest dumping ground in the city after Deonar. Spread over 24 hectares, the Mulund dump yard had been in use since 1967. Of the 7,200 metric tonnes of garbage produced by the city every day in 2018, around 1,500 to 2,000 metric tonnes was dumped in Mulund. As per official data, more than seven million cubic metres of waste, towering to 30 metres in height had accumulated on the site. In June 2018, the BMC appointed a consortium of Prakash Constrowell Ltd, Infotech International Ltd and EB Enviro Biotech Pvt Ltd to process the waste at the dump using the latest technology for Rs 731 crore.

The closure of Mulund dumping ground was supposed to take place in phases over six years, which means till the end of 2024, but even after three years, hardly any work was done on the site. "There were multiple issues and the work wasn't started as expected. The end product of the procedure - ash has to be removed from the site. The contractors were not able to find a place to dump ash. Now they have managed it. Also, they are adding up machinery and we are hoping the project will start in full swing," said Minesh Pimple, Deputy Chief Engineer, Solid Waste Management (Projects). He added, Manpower crunch during the lockdown and onset of monsoon this year also resulted in further delay.

The BMC had overshot several deadlines to close the landfill. The first tender was floated in November 2015. It was followed by the second tender in October 2016 and the third in March 2017. However, the BMC officers rejected all the contractors who responded to tenders sighting their inability to use the latest technology to process waste. The tender was floated once again in February 2018 and the contract awarded in June 2018.