The 96-year-old gigantic Deonar dumping ground in the suburbs of Mumbai has been infamous for recurrent fires– a source of health issue for residents living in the adjacent neighbourhood due to which the Bombay High Court has ordered the closure of the ground several years ago. With the aim to reclaim this land as a long-term measure and for the scientific closure of the dumpyard, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is examining the possibility of biomining of legacy waste at Deonar. For this, the civic body will carry out sampling and testing of waste at the dumping ground. Project: Biomining of legacy waste at Deonar dumping ground Plan: To determine the Biomining potential of legacy waste at Deonar dumping ground, BMC has floated an express of interest for sampling and testing of this legacy waste. Aim: *Scientific closure of Deonar dumping ground in Shivaji Nagar *Freeing up space within the group by tackling legacy waste What is legacy waste and biomining? - Legacy waste is the waste accumulated over many years. It is a mixture of partially and completely decomposed biodegradable waste, along with other recyclable items such as plastic, cloth, and metals metals. - Biomining is the scientific process where solid waste lying in dumpsites is excavated, segregated, and treated. Details of project: - BMC intends to carry out sampling and testing of legacy waste on 32 hectares of land. - The maximum height of the waste in this area is about 40 metres. - The legacy waste will be collected in batches at a depth of three metres, and processed to obtain representative samples. - A maximum of 200 samples will be collected from about 15 bores depending upon site conditions. - Deonar dumping ground has been operational since 1927. - At present, the total area of Deonar dumping ground is about 120 hectares and the quantum of waste accumulated is approximately two crore cubic metres, amounting to over 2,000 crore kg. - About 1,000 kg to 1,200 kg is disposed at the site daily in a controlled manner Authorities speak: A senior civic officer with the solid waste management department said, "For the new solid waste disposed at Deonar Dumping ground, we will have the waste-to-energy treatment plants. However, for old legacy waste, we are exploring the possibility of biomining, and will carry out the sampling of waste to determine its potential.
