Mumbai Expands Landfill Land For Redevelopment Works
Mumbai’s civic administration is preparing to repurpose a section of the former Mulund landfill by leasing part of the reclaimed site for infrastructure linked to the Dharavi redevelopment programme. The move reflects a broader shift in how legacy landfill land is being integrated into large-scale urban regeneration while raising important questions about balancing redevelopment with long-term environmental restoration. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is expected to seek approval for leasing approximately 15 acres within the closed Mulund dumping ground to the special purpose vehicle implementing the Dharavi redevelopment project. The proposed lease, planned for five years, is intended to accommodate temporary construction facilities, including a ready-mix concrete plant and a casting yard required for ongoing housing development activities.
Unlike the Deonar landfill, where land has already been earmarked for rehabilitation housing, the Mulund site will primarily function as construction support infrastructure rather than a residential destination. Civic officials estimate that the lease could generate more than ₹100 crore in gross revenue over its tenure, although the final financial return will be lower after accounting for site remediation obligations assigned to the developer. The Mulund Landfill Remediation process remains central to the proposal. As part of the agreement under consideration, the project entity would undertake the removal of the remaining waste mound, reducing the financial burden on the municipal administration while enabling further restoration of the former dumpsite. Urban policy experts note that integrating remediation responsibilities into redevelopment agreements can accelerate environmental recovery, provided scientific monitoring and post-restoration land management remain transparent. Operational between 1968 and 2018, the Mulund landfill accumulated millions of tonnes of municipal waste before judicial directions required its scientific closure.
Since then, the civic body has been carrying out biomining—a process that excavates legacy waste, separates recyclable material and stabilises residual waste to reclaim usable land. Although significant progress has been achieved, the programme has experienced delays because of the pandemic, extreme weather events and rising operational costs. Urban planners argue that reclaimed landfill sites represent valuable urban assets in land-constrained cities such as Mumbai, but caution that redevelopment should not outpace environmental safeguards. Former dumping grounds often require continuous monitoring for settlement, groundwater quality and methane emissions even after waste removal, making long-term ecological management as important as immediate economic utilisation. The Mulund Landfill Remediation initiative also reflects the increasing importance of converting degraded urban land into productive assets instead of opening new greenfield sites. However, experts emphasise that such transitions should prioritise climate resilience, pollution control and public health alongside infrastructure delivery.
If approved by the civic committee, the lease would mark another milestone in Mumbai’s strategy of combining landfill restoration with urban redevelopment. The long-term success of the initiative will ultimately depend on whether environmental rehabilitation progresses alongside construction, ensuring reclaimed public land contributes to a cleaner, safer and more sustainable urban landscape.
