BMC plans new recycling plant at Deonar to manage 8,000 MT C&D waste daily | File Photo
Mumbai: The city produces between 7,000 to 8,000 Metric Tonnes (MT) of construction and demolition (C&D) waste each day, but the current recycling plant operated by the BMC can only handle 1,200 MT of this waste daily.
To address the growing gap in recycling capacity, the civic body is planning to establish another plant at the Deonar landfill. This new plant is designed to handle 2,000 MT of C&D waste per day. Currently, the proposal is at planning stage, as per the civic official.
The city generates approximately 6,300 MT of waste daily, with C&D waste now constituting a significant portion, having increased to 8,000 MT. Since the launch of the ‘Debris on Call’ helpline, the civic body has collected around 30,000 MT of debris, which has been treated in two plants located in Dahisar and Kalyan. However, each plant has a processing capacity of only 600 MT of debris per day, which accounts for just 15% of the total C&D waste produced daily in the city.
To address this gap, the civic body is considering setting up a third C&D recycling plant in Deonar. The land, which spans 124 acres of the total 311-acre area, has been approved by the state government for transfer for the Dharavi redevelopment project.
BMC plans new recycling plant at Deonar to manage 8,000 MT C&D waste daily | File Photo
A Waste-to-Energy plant, which is expected to be operational by October 2025, will be established on 75 acres, while the remaining 10 acres will be utilized for the C&D recycling plant. “A proposal for the project was discussed in a recent meeting, and accordingly, a detailed proposal will be prepared and submitted for approval to the BMC Administrator,” said a senior civic official.
Meanwhile, the BMC has cleared 133.5 tonnes of debris from the Eastern and Western Express Highways over the past four nights as part of a special drive. While there is no charge for disposing of up to 500 kg of debris, the civic body charges Rs 400 to Rs 500 per MT for larger amounts.
However, illegal dumping operations charge only Rs. 200 per MT and dispose of debris in mangrove areas, which the BMC later clears at a higher cost. To tackle this issue, the civic body has decided to reduce disposal charges and will form a special squad to prevent illegal dumping in open spaces.
