MUMBAI: BMC’s ambitious biomining project at the Mulund dumping ground has hit yet another delay, with the contractor seeking a third extension citing the disruptions in fuel supplies caused by the West Asia war.The dumpyard, which ceased operations in 2018, was taken up for a Rs 731-crore biomining project to process legacy waste. However, progress has been slower than anticipated, officials have said.In a recent communication to the civic solid waste management (SWM) department, a copy of which is with TOI, the contractor-Bio Mining India Private Ltd-cited disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict as the primary reason for the slow pace.
The firm said the situation has severely impacted the global fuel supply chain, affecting transportation and the operation of heavy machinery at the site. “The scarcity of fuel has paralysed essential transport and machinery operations, making it physically and logistically impossible to meet the stipulated project deadlines,” it said in the letter.Invoking provisions under the contract’s ‘general conditions’, the company termed the ongoing geopolitical situation as a ‘force majeure’ event, classifying it under “exceptional risk” akin to a world war-like scenario. It has requested the civic body to refrain from imposing penalties or liquidated damages for the reduced pace of work and to grant a revised extension for project completion. The contractor also sought that the revised timeline factor in not only the duration of the disruption but also an additional mobilisation period once fuel supplies stabilise.Force majeure is typically invoked in the case of extraordinary and unforeseen events, including wars, which are beyond the reasonable control of the contract parties involved and frees them from certain liabilities.Civic officials said that the company’s request is under consideration. “We are examining the contractor’s claims before taking a decision,” an official said.The project, which began in 2019, had received two extensions due to multiple setbacks, including the Covid-induced lockdowns that halted manpower and machinery for months as well as cyclone Tauktae that struck Gujarat in May 2021 but dumped over 200mm of rain in Mumbai. The first extension ended in June 2025. The second was attributed to the early onset of the monsoon in May that year, which added moisture to the legacy waste mounds lying at the site and made bioremediation unworkable.
