Mumbai: BMC scraps waste processing contracts for Mulund, Deonar

One year after the Bombay high court’s rap to solve the dumping ground mess in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started the process to terminate the waste processing contracts at Deonar and Mulund dumping grounds.

One year after the Bombay high court’s rap to solve the dumping ground mess in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started the process to terminate the waste processing contracts at Deonar and Mulund dumping grounds.

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While the contract for the Deonar ground in 2009, the Mulund contract was given in 2010. However, since then, both the firms have come under fire for not processing the waste properly; and the civic body for not taking action against them.

“Despite t he continuous follow-up and correspondence, both the firms have not been able to commence operations since inception. Therefore, we decided to terminate the agreements. Termination notice has been sent to the firm at Deonar dumping ground while a show cause notice has been sent for the firm appointed for the Mulund dumpyard,” said SA Ansari, chief engineer, solid waste management department.

The firm at Deonar had to carry out partial closure and simultaneously set up two compost plants for processing 2000 metric tonnes of waste daily. In Mulund, the appointed contractor had to set up bio-methanation plants for processing 500 metric tonnes of waste daily. Both the projects were to be executed on private-public partnership.

While the contracts will be terminated, dumping at the locations will continue, said senior civic officials. “We will invite fresh bids for scientific processing in Deonar but dumping will continue. At Mulund, it will be discontinued in phases,” said the official.

At Deonar, the contractor had demanded leasing out of land as the firm wanted to apply for loan to set up the processing plant. However, the state refused to lease out the plot to the contractor, stating the BMC had followed a flawed tendering process while appointing the firm.

With the HC deadline ending by November this year, the civic body is also likely to seek extension for closure of the two dump yards.