Solid Waste Management

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The first of Mumbai Solid Waste Management projects � the closure of the Gorai dumping grounds is underway. The project is part of the overall waste management strategy that envisages converting about 80 hectares of land including the entire dumping ground at Gorai, and portions of Mulund and Deonar dumping grounds into green landscaped spaces for the Mumbai citizen. The Gorai site, which spans over 19 hectares has residential areas in close proximity.

The existing practice of open dumping that has been followed since 1972 has caused significant environmental damage in neighborhoods adjoining the disposal site. The creek waters have been polluted due to inflow of leachate and the air quality has deteriorated from the frequent burning of garbage at the Gorai dumping ground.

The Gorai closure project (the first of its kind in the country) also envisages landfill gas recovery systems at the sites in order to reduce Methane (CH4) emissions. A ton of Methane is equivalent to 21 tons of carbon in terms of global warming potential. The project will demonstrate that the carbon credit finance mechanism can catalyze environmentally sustainable and financially viable scientific closure of existing dumping sites. This will contribute significantly to reducing uncontrolled green house gas emissions into the atmosphere.

The Waste Management strategy for treatment and disposal of Mumbai�s 6,000 Tons per day of municipal solid waste which focuses on environment friendly technologies including Composting and Biomethanation has been developed by IL&FS Ecosmart Ltd on a public private partnership format. The Gorai closure project will be implemented by M/s United Phosphorous Limited along with their consortium partner, Van Der Wiel, Netherlands, in a period of 15 months. |
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Trickling of leachate - pollutant that seeps through garbage - into the Thane creek from the Mulund dumping ground has become a major cause of concern for fishermen...