The project is a part of the overall waste management strategy under which the Gorai dumping ground will be closed while that at Deonar and Mulund will be partially closed. Importantly, a sanitary land fill and composting site will be freshly developed at Kanjurmarg which will initiate organic and scientific composting and processing of waste instead of dumping alone. The total cost of the project is Rs 476 crore and Rs 254 crore will come from private sectors.

Additional Municipal Commissioner (city) RA Rajeev said the proposal was stuck over the last few months for the clearance. “Many experts had raised objections and even doubts over the PPP model. However, all the doubts are now put to rest with the Center clearing it,” he said addressing a press conference on Friday.

The civic administration has already invited tenders for selecting the prospective bidders who will collect the waste from the existing dumping grounds and earn carbon credits in return. Rajeev said BMC will also earn 50 per cent of the carbon credits.

Gorai dumping ground which spans over 19 hectares will be the first site for the closure with landfill gas recovery systems at the sites in order to reduce Methane emissions. The project will also convert around 80 hectares of land of dumping grounds into green landscaped spaces. Currently, the garbage is being dumped openly with residential areas around and has caused grave environmental damage. The BMC will incorporate environmental measures like impermeable surface cover, landfill gas collection, leachate collection and treatment systems and will develop a green belt on landscaping.