The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has achieved 60 per cent physical progress on its 600 tonnes per day (TPD) Integrated Solid Waste Processing Facility at Badlapur. The facility is being developed to serve Ambernath, Kulgaon-Badlapur and Ulhasnagar in Thane district.

The project is supported under the KfW-funded Mumbai Metropolitan Region Urban Infrastructure Improvement Programme (MMRUIIP). It is being implemented on a Design-Build-Operate-Transfer basis and is intended to strengthen scientific municipal solid waste management across the three participating urban local bodies.

The facility will include a Material Recovery Facility (MRF), biodegradable waste processing units and a sanitary landfill. It will recover materials including paper, plastics, metals and glass, while biodegradable waste will be converted into compost and Refuse Derived Fuel will also be produced. The authority expects the project to reduce dependence on open dumping and conventional landfill disposal.

MMRDA said scientific processing and disposal would help address sanitation and environmental concerns linked to unmanaged waste. The project is also intended to reduce odour, vector breeding and fire hazards, while leachate treatment will help protect soil and groundwater. Processing municipal waste through the facility is expected to support resource recovery and reduce the need for virgin raw materials.

Implementation involves coordination among MMRDA, the participating urban local bodies, KfW Development Bank, the project management consultant, contractors, technology providers and statutory authorities. Work has included stakeholder reviews, phased site development, statutory approvals, legacy waste removal, controlled blasting, supporting infrastructure and equipment installation. The project is expected to create direct and indirect employment during construction and operations, while offering more organised and safer livelihood opportunities to informal waste pickers through their integration into the formal waste management system. Once completed, the facility will support regional recycling and cleaner urban development across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.