The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has zeroed in on three sites to develop them as dumping grounds for the several thousand tonnes of garbage produced by the residents of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The authority has also sent the proposal for environmental clearance for these sites.

“Bhiwandi on Mumbai-Nashik Highway (52 hectares), Shilphata near Kalyan road (269 hectares) and Taloja (43 hectares) have been finalised to be developed as landfill sites for corporations and Urban Local Bodies uniformly and in a cost effective manner. We have sent the proposal seeking environmental clearance for the same,” M R Shah, Principal Advisor, Solid Waste Management Cell, MMRDA, told Newsline. “We’re expecting environmental clearances within four to five months,” Shah said.

According to the plan, a common landfill site would be selected in a way that two or three municipal corporations or councils in the urban agglomeration can share a dumping ground. The MMR produced nearly 11,000 tonnes of garbage in a day.

Shah added that all seven corporations and councils have given their consent for the common regional landfill site project. These proposed landfill sites would cater to waste produced form the MMR’s municipal corporations and councils for a span of at least 25 to 30 years.

According to Shah, a former chief engineer of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Solid Waste Management department, the idea behind opting for a common landfill site was to solve the problem of space to dump garbage.

The MMRDA is also contemplating to operationalise the three landfill sites with private partners. “These three landfill sites will cater to entire MMR and it will probably be developed on a public-private partnership model to make it cost effective,” Shah added.