As reported in IndianExpress on Dec 17, 2009
Even before the work on the partial closure of Deonar dumpyard could begin, yet another public interest litigation (PIL) alleging “irregularity and illegality” in the contract has been filed against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), additional municipal commissioner (city) and the contractor United Phosphorous Co.
The PIL filed by environmentalist Rishi Aggarwal in the High Court alleges several irregularities in awarding the 25-year contract to United Phosphorous Co. The civic body had decided to partially shut the Deonar dumpyard in order to set up a landfill site with a capacity to treat around 4,000 metric tonnes of garbage.
According to the PIL, while attempting to bargain with the contractor to reduce the original tipping fee— cost per tonne for treating the waste — of Rs 625 per tonne as quoted by the company in 2006 to Rs 445, the BMC has agreed to give the same fee for treating both inert and recycleable garbage. This, according to him, aggregates to over Rs 3,400 crore for 25 years. It is a collossal waste of public money, the PIL alleged. The PIL also pointed out that according to the Central Government’s Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) rule, 2000, a tipping fee can only be levied for garbage which is inert or non-revenue generating. It is not applicable for garbage which can be converted into manure or put to use.
