BMC’s fifth attempt to set up waste plant at Mulund gets just one bid

In June, three firms had bid for the project, but they were disqualified as none of them met the conditions.

Trouble seems to be unending for the processing plant at Mulund dumping ground. After struggling for a year with the re-tendering process and changing many conditions for a successful bid, only one contractor has shown interest in the project. In June, three firms had bid for the project, but they were disqualified as none of them met the conditions. This was Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) fifth attempt to get contractors for the project.

Mulund is the second largest dumping ground in the city after Deonar, both of which are overloaded with waste. (File pic for representation)

The project file has been submitted to municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta for the final decision. “Most likely, we will re-tender. For a project with such a large scope, both in terms of finance and novelty, we will not go ahead with giving the project to a single bidder,” said a senior civic official.

Mulund is the second largest dumping ground in the city after Deonar, both of which are overloaded with waste. Following repeated fires at the dump yards, the Bombay high court in February said the BMC would not be allowed to dump any more waste at the sites from June 30, 2017. Following it, the BMC received extension to continue to dump waste.

After struggling for months to get contractors for a processing plant at the Mulund dumping ground, the BMC changed some conditions in the tenders.

In a significant change, the civic body offered 20 hectares at Taloja for dumping inert waste. Inert waste is neither chemically nor biologically reactive and will not decompose like sand or concrete. According to the earlier condition, contractors were to figure out a location to dump residual material and also seek necessary permissions.

It had also agreed to contractors’ demand to allow them to process the entire waste — 60 lakh metric tonnes — instead of half the quantity earlier.

A panel of six members — three civic officials, a financial adviser and one representative each from IIT-Bombay and NEERI— had framed the standards for the plant. The guidelines said company that processes the waste will be the owner of the final product — electricity or compost, among other things. The BMC can buy the final product. With poor response, the project now seems to be in a limbo.