Navayuga Engineering Company wins BMC contract to clear Deonar dumping ground

Once cleared, the land will be allocated for constructing houses under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.

Mumbai: Two months after floating one of the largest solid waste management tenders in recent years, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday announced that Hyderabad-based Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd (NEC) has won the contract for the bioremediation of 18.5 million tonnes of legacy waste at the Deonar dumping ground, which will result in the reclamation of approximately 110 hectares of land at one of Asia’s oldest and largest landfills.

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

Once cleared, the land will be allocated for constructing houses under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), being implemented by the Adani Group in partnership with the Maharashtra government’s Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA).

In May, the BMC had floated a ₹2,368-crore tender for the bioremediation project. After three deadline extensions, the civic body announced earlier this month that it had received three bids—from NEC, HG Infra Engineering Ltd, and ReSustainability Ltd.

On Friday, the BMC said that NEC had submitted the lowest of the three bids—quoting ₹1,373.35 per tonne, 7.29% above the estimated cost of ₹1,280 per tonne. This means the cost of the project will be around ₹2,540 crore. HG Infra Engineering Ltd had quoted 11.53% above the estimated cost, while ReSustainability Ltd had bid 24.8% above the estimated cost.

The bioremediation process that NEC will undertake includes the excavation, processing, and segregation of waste material at the landfill. The project will also involve the reclamation of around 110 hectares of land, significantly transforming the long-polluted site into usable land. The contract is for three years and factors in mobilisation and monsoon-related delays.

In October 2024, the Maharashtra cabinet approved the transfer of 124 acres of the 311-acre Deonar landfill to the Adani Group-led DRP for constructing rental homes for residents deemed ineligible for free housing within Dharavi. The decision sparked controversy due to environmental and health concerns, as the site remains an active landfill that emits toxic gases.

NEC, founded in 1986, has previously partnered with the Adani Group in another infrastructure venture—the Vijayawada Bypass project. The firm has worked on diverse projects involving bridges, highways, tunnels, ports, marine structures, reservoirs, lift irrigation systems, special foundations, dredging and land reclamation, defence infrastructure, and power transmission.