According to a latest update, the work of 70 lakh metric tonnes of waste at Mulund Dumping Ground is being processed at a slow pace.
A contract was awarded to process the waste using the latest technology at a cost of INR 731 crore following its closure since 2018.
The contractor was assigned the task of processing 11 to 12 lakh metric tonnes of waste each year; however, this target has not been met. But till now the contractor has managed to dispose only 32 lakh metric tonnes of waste.
Therefore, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has imposed a fine of INR 8 crore on the contractor for failing to dispose the waste within the time limit.
Now, the deadline for disposal of waste from the dumping ground has been extended till June 2025. Hence, the residents of the area will have to bear the problem of dumping for a few more months.
The contractor has been given the task of processing and disposing of the waste from this dumping ground for a period of six years.
The BMC collects approximately 6,300 metric tonnes of garbage from the city each day. Of this, 5,500 metric tonnes are sent to the processing plant in Kanjurmarg, while another 700 metric tonnes are dumped at the Deonar dump yard. Following Deonar, Mulund was the second largest dumping ground in the city, covering 24 hectares and operational since 1967.
Earlier, the deadline for closure of the dumping ground was October 2024. Due to delays caused by the COVID pandemic and other required permissions, the timeline has been extended by two years with actual work only starting in 2021.