Two months after issuing one of the largest solid waste management tenders in recent years, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced on Friday that Hyderabad-based Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd (NEC) has won the contract to bioremediate 18.5 million tonnes of legacy waste at the Deonar dumping ground. This project will reclaim approximately 110 hectares of land at one of Asia’s oldest and largest landfills.

Once cleared, the reclaimed land will be allocated for residential construction under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), a collaboration between the Adani Group and the Maharashtra government’s Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA).

The BMC floated a Rs 23.68 billion tender in May for the bioremediation work. After three deadline extensions, three bids were received earlier this month from NEC, HG Infra Engineering Ltd, and ReSustainability Ltd.

NEC submitted the lowest bid at Rs 1,373.35 per tonne, which is 7.29 per cent above the estimated cost of Rs 1,280 per tonne, bringing the total project cost to around Rs 25.4 billion. HG Infra Engineering quoted 11.53 per cent above the estimate, while ReSustainability bid 24.8 per cent higher.

NEC’s bioremediation process will involve excavation, processing, and segregation of waste material, alongside the reclamation of roughly 110 hectares, transforming the long-polluted site into usable land. The contract spans three years and includes allowances for mobilisation and monsoon delays.

In October 2024, the Maharashtra cabinet approved transferring 124 acres of the 311-acre Deonar landfill to the Adani-led DRP for rental housing construction aimed at residents ineligible for free housing within Dharavi. The move has raised environmental and health concerns due to ongoing landfill emissions.

Founded in 1986, NEC has previously partnered with the Adani Group on projects such as the Vijayawada Bypass. The firm has experience across infrastructure sectors including bridges, highways, tunnels, ports, reservoirs, irrigation, dredging, land reclamation, defence infrastructure, and power transmission.