3 weeks ago
Delays hit Dharavi rehab housing as Deonar landfill cleanup stalls
Imagine a huge, very old garbage mountain in Mumbai called the Deonar landfill.
The government wants to clean it up so people from Dharavi can live there in new homes.
A big company was hired to do the cleaning, but it needs special permission papers before it can start.
Most of those permission papers are still waiting to be approved.
Because of this, work that should have started in January has been delayed for more than six months.
Now the cleaning may not begin until November.
The area is special because it sits near mangroves and is home to flamingos, so there are many nature-protection rules.
Some experts say building homes on an old closed landfill goes against pollution-control guidelines.
Until the land is cleaned and certified as safe, no houses can be built.
That means thousands of families may have to wait even longer for their new homes.
Work to clear part of Mumbai's Deonar landfill has been delayed by more than six months past the original January 2026 deadline.
Only two of seven statutory clearances have been granted for the Rs 2,537-crore clean-up contract awarded to Navayuga Engineering Company Limited (NECL).
The BMC extended the deadline for work to begin to September 30, but bioremediation is now likely to start only by November, casting doubt on the 2029 completion timeline.
The 124-acre Deonar site is one of four alternate land parcels for rehabilitating Dharavi families not eligible for free housing, with a seven-year housing delivery timeline from the May 2025 masterplan approval.
Officials say construction will start only after green approvals are obtained, while an Indian Express investigation found the housing plan runs contrary to CPCB guidelines barring buildings on closed landfills.
Pending approvals include a Maharashtra Pollution Control Board consent to operate, two forest NOCs, a Union Environment Ministry clearance, and Bombay High Court approval.
- Who
- The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Maharashtra government and Adani Group's Dharavi Rehabilitation Project, and contractor Navayuga Engineering Company Limited (NECL).
- What
- Delays in obtaining statutory clearances have stalled the cleanup of the Deonar landfill needed for rehabilitation housing for Dharavi families.
- Where
- The Deonar landfill, along Thane Creek separating Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
- When
- More than six months past the original January 2026 deadline; bioremediation is now expected to begin only by November.
- Why
- Five of seven statutory environmental and legal clearances remain pending for the eco-sensitive landfill site.
Environmental caution
Project expediency
Housing on a closed landfill
Environmental caution
An Indian Express investigation found the rehabilitation housing plan runs contrary to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines, which bar housing, hospitals and schools even on a closed landfill.
Project expediency
Project officials say construction will begin only after all statutory green approvals are obtained and experts certify the site as safe and fit for habitation, following complete bio-mining of the waste.
Cause of the delay
Environmental caution
Clearances were applied for only after the January 2026 deadline, raising fresh questions over the timeline for housing thousands of families on the Dharavi site.
Project expediency
NECL said the delay was due to legal ramifications of environmental laws, as it initially believed reclaiming the landfill was an environmentally friendly process and would not require environmental clearance.
Deadline extensions
Environmental caution
The repeated extension of the work-start deadline puts the 2029 completion target at risk and leaves little room for the 12-year rental-to-ownership housing plan.
Project expediency
The BMC said extending the tender deadline was the only alternative to scrapping it and floating a fresh tender, and that all permissions must be in place before work begins on a project of this scale.
Key facts
- Contract value
- Rs 2,537 crore
- Contractor
- Navayuga Engineering Company Limited (NECL)
- Land earmarked
- 124 acres in Deonar
- Statutory clearances
- 2 of 7 granted; 5 pending
- Current deadline for work to start
- September 30 (extended)
- Expected start of bioremediation
- November
- Completion deadline
- 2029
- Housing timeline
- Within 7 years of masterplan approval in May 2025
Quotes
Adani Navbharat Developers spokesperson
Spokesperson for Adani Navbharat Developers Private Limited, executing the Dharavi Redevelopment Project
“"The project involves freeing the land parcel from the existing mounds of waste. Initially, we were under the impression we would not require an environmental clearance (EC) for the project, as reclaiming the landfill is an environmentally friendly process,"”
indianexpress.com
“"Any construction work will begin only after all statutory green approvals are obtained and the site is certified by experts as safe and fit for habitation."”
indianexpress.com
Kiran Dighavkar, BMC Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Solid Waste Management)
BMC Deputy Municipal Commissioner overseeing solid waste management
“"The tender’s deadline was extended because the only alternative was to scrap it, float a fresh tender, and appoint a new contractor. That would have taken even more time and required us to seek fresh approval again. This is the first project of this scale and all permissions have to be in place before work begins,"”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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