‘Mulund dumping ground to be cleared within a year’: BMC chief

MUMBAI: The long-pending issue of waste disposal at the Mulund dumping ground is set to see significant progress, with the BMC giving an assurance that all processed garbage at the site will be relocated within a year. The commitment was made during a review meeting at Sahyadri Guesthouse by civic chief and administrator Bhushan Gagrani. At the meeting chaired by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mulund MLA Mihir Kotecha expressed concern about the delays in closing the landfill.

Kotecha highlighted that the Mulund landfill, which ceased operations in December 2018, had been handed over to Biomining India Private Limited for bio-mining and scientific waste-processing. The ₹731-crore project was scheduled to be completed in six years but has been marred by delays.

“Although the BMC claims that 65% of the waste has been processed, the mountain of garbage still looks the same,” remarked Kotecha, questioning the visible impact of the clean-up efforts.

In response, Gagrani acknowledged that the Covid-19 lockdown had disrupted the project timeline, and explained that while the processing of the waste had progressed, the actual relocation of the treated material had yet to begin. “We have completed 65% of the processing work,” the civic chief confirmed to HT. “The dumping of the processed waste at the designated site will start soon, and the entire process will be completed within the next year.” Once the site is cleared, Mumbai is set to reclaim 24 hectares of open space.

Kotecha emphasised that this land would be used to create public amenities, and proposed the development of a golf course on the levelled area. “CM Fadnavis responded positively to the idea,” he said.

The Mulund dumping ground, active from 1967 to 2018, was one of the city’s major waste disposal sites. Its closure involves a scientific method called bio-mining, which uses microorganisms to process waste and extract useful materials.