After Pune building collapse, BMC orders safety audit of Mumbai’s landfills

3 min readJul 15, 2026 12:26 AM IST

The audit is slated to be conducted across Mumbai's two active dumping grounds at Kanjurmarg and Deonar, alongside the closed landfill at Mulund where the civic body is undertaking bio-mining work. (File photo)

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to launch an audit of Mumbai’s landfills, waste treatment facilities and solid waste management project sites. During the week-long assessment of safety norms, the civic authorities are slated to assess the heights of legacy waste mounds, identify unstable excavation zones as well as audit structural stability of facilities in and around landfill cells. The move comes after nine people were killed when a waste-to-energy plant building collapsed in Pune’s Moshi.

On Tuesday, Vipin Sharma, BMC’s additional municipal commissioner convened a meeting to review safety of solid waste management (SWM) project activities across Mumbai’s landfills and refuse transfer stations. While reviewing safety norms across the city, Sharma directed authorities to immediately review ongoing bio-mining excavation methods unfolding across Kanjurmarg, Deonar and Mulund dumping grounds to ensure safe operations. As an immediate measure, authorities concerned have been asked to identify “unstable excavation zones” and barricade earmarked areas to prevent unauthorised access.

In a review which is slated to commence this week, the authorities are set to audit stability of all sheds, workshops and other facilities across Mumbai’s landfill cells to examine their structural stability.

The audit is slated to be conducted across Mumbai’s two active dumping grounds at Kanjurmarg and Deonar, alongside the closed landfill at Mulund where the civic body is undertaking bio-mining work.

To eliminate risks around legacy waste mounds, Sharma instructed officials to review fire as well as methane gas-related risks at the upcoming Deonar waste-to-energy facility. Calling for mock-drills for all project staffers, Sharma said, “Contractors must remain vigilant and adequately prepared to address potential fire hazards arising from the accumulation of RDF at project sites.”

“All departments and contractors shall ensure that conditions leading to landfill collapse, slope failure, fire incidents, equipment accidents, or excavation failures are identified, monitored, and eliminated through proactive engineering and operational controls,” said Sharma, during the review meeting held on Tuesday.

The preemptive audit of Mumbai’s SWM sites come on the heels of Moshi’s fatal waste-to-energy plant building collapse on July 8. The incident occurred after a huge mound of legacy waste became unstable due to heavy rains and collapsed. At least 23 employees of Antony Lara Renewable Energy Ltd, who work on contract for Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, were trapped inside the structure at the time. At least nine people were killed, and recovered from the debris over two days.

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Taking cognisance of the incident, Sharma also instructed in-charge departments to remain prepared for heavy showers. Sharma has called for a comprehensive audit of storm water and drainage systems to gauge their monsoon readiness.