Six firms apply for waste processing plants

“We are studying the responses on the RFQs. The request for proposals will be issued within 15 days as we expect to finalise the tender another week thereafter,” additional municipal commissioner Mohan Adtani, in charge of the civic solid waste department, said.

In November last year, over 30 firms and consortia had evinced interest in the BMC’s initial EOI. Of these, 22 were joint ventures with foreign firms.
“The responses for the RFQ are fewer than what we received in the EOI, but this is only because serious contenders, which are technologically and financially capable, have now come forward at the qualifying stage,” deputy municipal commissioner (solid waste management) Prakash Patil said.

The BMC plans to set up three waste-to-energy plants to process 3,000 metric tonnes of waste daily and ease the pressure on the city’s landfills at Deonar and Mulund, which have exceeded capacity.

“Two of these plants will be set up at the Deonar dumping ground, while the location of the third is still to be finalised. It could be Kanjurmarg, if we find suitable plot of at least 10 acres. Else, we will place the third plant at Deonar as well,” Adtani said.

The city generates nearly 6,500 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste and 2,000-2,500 metric tonnes of construction waste (debris and silt) daily.

A provision of Rs 100.8 crore for this project was made in the civic budget this year, with additional funding expected from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). As per the revised plan, the corporation will share the capital expenditure for setting up the plant with the company.

alison.saldanha@expressindia.com