The delay in appointing a new contractor resulted in the temporary shutting off of the refuse transfer station (RTS) at Kurla and Mahalaxmi in March last year. Learning from this experience, the BMC has invited an early tender for removal and transportation of refuse from the RTS to landfills at Deonar and Kanjurmarg.
BMC's 4 transfer stations
A transfer station is a processing site for the temporary deposition and aggregation of solid waste. The BMC has set up four such facilities – at Mahalaxmi, Kurla, Versova and Gorai. RTS receives solid waste from municipal wards before dumping it at the landfill’s waste processing unit. The waste collected from Sion-Wadala, Bandra-Santacruz (East), Bandra, Khar, Santacruz (West), Kurla-Powai, Andheri, and Vile Parle (East) is unloaded at the RTS in Kurla. The waste from the Island City is unloaded at Mahalaxmi RTS. These two units were forced to shut due to the absence of a new contract, which left many areas with piles of rubbish in March 2023.
“The delay in the tendering process last year resulted in the shutdown of two RTS. So we have started the rendering process early this time to avoid a rush at the last minute,” said a senior civic official.
Cost for removal & transportation of refuse around Rs17 crore
The estimated cost for the removal and transportation of refuse is around Rs17 crore. The last date for the submission of the bid is January 24. The BMC also intends to upgrade these RTS to improve waste segregation so that it reduces non-recyclable waste that goes to the landfills.
The city generates around 6,300 metric tons (MT) of waste daily. The waste collected at the RTS is loaded into large compactors and transported to the dumping ground for disposal.
