BMC receives 3 bids for ₹2,368-crore Deonar waste bioremediation project

Two of them have previous collaborations with the Adani Group on large-scale infrastructure projects

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has received three bids for its ₹2,368-crore bioremediation project for the 185-lakh tonnes of legacy waste and reclamation of 110-hectare land at the Deonar dumping ground. It is considered one of the largest solid waste management tenders issued by the BMC in recent years.

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

Navyuga Engineering Company Ltd, HG Infra Engineering Ltd, and ReSustainability Ltd. submitted their bids when it was opened on Tuesday evening.

A senior civic official from BMC’s SWM Department told HT that among the bidders, only ReSustainability has prior experience in solid waste management and currently handles BMC’s waste-to-energy project at Deonar. The other two are infrastructure firms.

Both Navyuga and HG Infra have previous collaborations with the Adani Group on large-scale infrastructure projects. Navyuga partnered with Adani on the Vijayawada Bypass project, while HG Infra is working with Adani on Uttar Pradesh’s Ganga Expressway.

The land at Deonar, presently covered with untreated waste, will be remediated over three years. Once cleared, it will be allocated for housing construction under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), being implemented by the Adani Group in coordination with the Maharashtra government’s Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA).

Though 21 companies expressed interest during the pre-bid meeting in May, only three have submitted bids. Officials attributed the low turnout to stringent conditions, including a ban on joint ventures and the massive scale of waste to clear.

The tender, originally floated on May 14, saw three deadline extensions. The contract is for three years and factors mobilisation and monsoon-related delays.