BMC Seeks Approval to Extend Mulund Biomining Contract by 216 Days | Mumbai News
Mumbai: BMC is set to seek the standing committee’s approval to extend the contract of the agency carrying out biomining and remediation at the Mulund dumping ground by 216 days to process an additional 7 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste found at the site. A proposal seeks approval for the revised contract period up to April 19, 2027.The civic body has proposed continuing with the existing contractor, M/s Bio Mining India Pvt Ltd, at the prevailing rate of Rs 798 per metric tonne, arguing that floating a fresh tender would result in delays and additional expenditure.The additional work proposed for processing 7 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste at the existing contractual rate of Rs 798 per metric tonne would cost the BMC approximately Rs 55.86 crore.The proposal, listed for the August 25 standing committee meeting, states that the contractor has already completed processing of the 70 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste covered under the original contract. However, a contour survey and site assessment found approximately another 7 lakh metric tonnes of old waste at the landfill.The original six-year contract, comprising a one-year mobilisation period and five years of execution, was approved by the standing committee in June 2018. The contract period was subsequently extended on account of non-working periods arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, cyclones, heavy rainfall and fuel shortages, among other reasons, taking it up to May 27, 2026.According to the civic proposal, project management consultant May Mitcon Consultancy and Engineering Services Ltd found that the additional waste could be processed using the existing machinery, manpower and infrastructure at the site. It said continuing with the existing contractor would be in the public interest and economically beneficial.A technical assessment by KPMG Advisory Services Pvt Ltd pegged the contractor’s average productivity at 3,240 metric tonnes per day. Based on this, KPMG has assessed that 216 additional days would be required to process the estimated 7 lakh metric tonnes.The civic administration said extending the existing contract would be more economical than floating a fresh tender, particularly since prevailing market rates for similar work are higher than the existing contractual rate.Recently, BMC’s improvement committee sanctioned a proposal for leasing 15 acres of reclaimed land at the Mulund dumping ground to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) for five years to set up a casting yard, precast element manufacturing facility and ready-mix concrete (RMC) plant, with the civic body expected to earn rental income of around Rs 103.47 crore over the lease period.
