BMC floats ₹2,368-crore tender to clear Deonar landfill waste amid public scrutiny

Activists and civil society groups have raised red flags about the BMC tender’s timing and financial implications, despite the environmental promise of bioremediation

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday issued a massive ₹2,368-crore tender for the remediation of legacy waste piled up to the equivalent of 12 storeys at the Deonar dumping ground, infamously referred to as Mount Garbage.

Mumbai, India - March 27, 2018: Fire at Deonar Dumping ground, India, on Tuesday, March 27, 2018. (Photo by Praful Gangurde/ Hindustan Times) (HT PHOTO)

Touted as one of the largest tenders in recent years for solid waste management, the initiative aims to address decades of accumulated waste at one of the city’s oldest dumping grounds.

The proposed project involves the bioremediation of 18.5 million tonnes of legacy waste and the disposal of excavated, processed, and segregated materials. According to the BMC, this will result in the reclamation of approximately 110 hectares (~272 acres) of land at the Deonar site.

The contract is set for a three-year period, inclusive of mobilisation and the monsoon season. Work is slated to begin upon the issuance of a letter of acceptance or a service order, whichever comes first.

The BMC’s move assumes significance considering the Deonar dumping ground is slated to play a significant role in the redevelopment of Dharavi, one of Asia’s largest slums.

Activists and civil society groups have raised red flags about the BMC tender’s timing and financial implications, despite the environmental promise of bioremediation. The Watchdog Foundation, an NGO, has openly criticised the move, citing concerns over the use of public funds to subsidise a private redevelopment project.

“While we acknowledge that bioremediation is an environmentally friendly process, we are perplexed by the timing and financial implications of this tender,” said advocate Godfrey Pimenta of the Watchdog Foundation.

“If a significant portion of the Deonar dumping ground has already been allotted to a private entity, why is the BMC spending ₹2,368 crore of taxpayers’ money on its bioremediation?” he added.

The foundation has called for the immediate suspension of the tender, urging a comprehensive review of the project and an independent inquiry into the decision-making process.

“We believe that transparency and accountability are paramount, especially when significant public funds are involved,” said Pimenta. “The citizens of Mumbai deserve clarity on how their money is being utilised, and whether such expenditures serve the public interest.”

Kiran Dighavkar, deputy municipal commissioner (solid waste management), defended the BMC’s move, saying there is a significant amount of legacy waste at the Mulund and Deonar dumping grounds that needs to be removed.

“Mulund alone has around 60 lakh (6 million) tonnes of waste, while Deonar holds nearly 2 crore (20 million) tonnes, piled up to the equivalent of 12 storeys and spread over approximately 110 hectares. Regardless of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, we are obligated to remove this legacy waste,” said Dighavkar.

“Work at the Mulund dumping ground has been ongoing for six years, and we expect to reclaim nearly 60 acres of land there. Now, the focus has shifted to Deonar, where biomining operations are underway. In the meantime, the DRP has progressed, and the state government has requested that the land originally allotted to us in the 1930s be returned in its current condition. It is our responsibility to clean the site and hand it back, in line with the state government’s directives,” he added.