Govandi residents up in arms over Deonar waste-to-energy project

BMC’s projected waste-to-energy (WtE) works astatine Deonar is the country’s largest dumping ground. | Photo Credit: Snehal Mutha

Residents and activists from Mumbai’s Govandi area person raised beardown objections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) projected waste-to-energy (WtE) works astatine Deonar, the country’s largest dumping ground, claiming that the ₹2,648 crore installation volition worsen aerial prime and endanger nationalist health.

The upcoming plant, to beryllium installed by Chennai MSW Pvt Ltd implicit 8.2 hectares, is expected to process 1,800 tonnes per time of municipal discarded and make 8 megawatts of energy by October 2025. However, residents from adjacent Baiganwadi and Shivaji Nagar fearfulness it volition emit toxic gases, aggravating respiratory diseases successful an already susceptible population.

“The prevalence of TB and asthma is already precocious here. Every different location has a patient. Adding different pollutant-heavy task is dangerous,” said Zakir (30), a nonmigratory of Baiganwadi for 25 years.

Another Baiganwadi resident, employed astatine the dumping ground, echoed the sentiment: “No exertion tin afloat power emissions. This volition lone get dangerous.”

The area, location to implicit 10 lakh radical crossed 200 slum pockets, besides faces further crowding owed to planned relocations from the Dharavi redevelopment project.

Legal battle

Bombay High Court lawyer Abid Abbas Sayyed, representing concerned citizens, has filed objections with the BMC Commissioner, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), and others. “The works volition merchandise carcinogens, dioxins, furans, c monoxide, and sulphur oxides. Respiratory diseases similar asthma and COPD are already rampant here. What guarantees are determination that emissions volition beryllium controlled?” he asked. 

While the BMC insists the works is environmentally dependable and MPCB-cleared, residents remain unconvinced. “The biomedical discarded installation present was besides promised to beryllium safe. Now, we aftermath up to achromatic particulate connected our vehicles and a changeless foul smell,” said Aditya, a 35-year-old Shivaji Nagar nonmigratory moving astatine the dumping ground. 

According to a Tata Institute of Social Sciences study, the mean beingness expectancy successful Govandi is conscionable 39 years. “We are already breathing methane and different toxic gases from existing discarded units. How overmuch much tin we take?” said Mr. Aditya. 

Mr. Sayyed besides highlighted that the biomedical discarded installation operated for 5 years without MPCB clearance. Despite a tribunal bid for its relocation six months ago, nary enactment has been taken. “How tin we spot the aforesaid agencies [MPCB and BMC] now?” helium questioned.

Citizens’ radical Govandi New Sangam Welfare Society filed a High Court petition successful October 2022, demanding the facility’s closure. In response, MPCB serviceman Rakesh Dafade stated the WtE project was evaluated for implicit a year, and measures similar scrubbers, a 50-meter chimney, and leachate attraction systems are planned to curb pollution.

Waste segregation worry

However, for residents, the halfway interest remains unaddressed— discarded segregation. “Deonar’s waste is simply a toxic premix of wet, dry, plastic, and adjacent biomedical material. Without due segregation, however tin this task enactment without causing harm?” asked Mr. Aditya.

Mr. Sayyed’s objection missive accuses BMC of violating the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, peculiarly Rule 15, which mandates segregation astatine root and technological processing. It noted that Mumbai’s waste’s debased calorific worth owed to its precocious integrated contented makes it unsuitable for vigor recovery, adding that 7 of the 14 WtE plants successful India person already unopen down for akin reasons.

Residents are demanding a enactment connected the task until a thorough Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and aesculapian and biology studies successful Govandi are conducted. An RTI has besides been filed to entree clearance documentation and biology reports related to the project. 

Published - May 14, 2025 07:48 americium IST