Mumbai: Ongoing tensions in Gulf countries have also impacted the waste processing project at the Mulund dumping ground. With the target of clearing 70 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of waste nearly achieved—just about 7% remaining after almost five years—the project has now hit a setback. The contractor has now written to the BMC, stating that waste processing has slowed due to a shortage of diesel required to carry out operations.
The fourth deadline for completing the project is set to expire later this month. So far, around 65 lakh MT of legacy waste has been processed, with the remaining five lakh MT scheduled for completion within 10 days. However, the ongoing Gulf conflict has disrupted diesel supplies, creating shortages that are affecting operations at the Mulund dumping ground, where heavy machinery like excavators, dumpers, and screening equipment is essential for bio-mining and waste processing.
"Contractors have informed civic authorities that limited commercial diesel is affecting their operations," said civic sources. After the last deadline in February, the contractor had accelerated work, processing 10,000–12,000 MT of waste daily. However, with the current diesel shortage, completing the remaining 7% of work this month appears challenging, he added. However, authorities have made it clear that no further extensions will be granted, and the contractor has been instructed to complete the work as quickly as possible.
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Mumbai generates around 7,000 MT of waste daily, with 90% processed at the Kanjurmarg processing plant and 10% still dumped at Deonar dumping ground. The 24-hectare Mulund site, operational since 1968 and once the city’s second-largest landfill, was officially closed in 2018. In October that year, the BMC awarded a Rs. 731-crore contract to reclaim the site via bio-mining, an eco-friendly method to process legacy waste and recover land. However, COVID-19 disruptions and delays in approvals meant actual work began only in 2021.
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