Mumbai Taps NEERI for Critical Study as Kanjurmarg Landfill Chokes on Methane

Mumbai's civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), is set to appoint the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) for a crucial two-year, ₹3.01-crore study to tackle the severe methane emissions, foul odour, and air pollution plaguing the Kanjurmarg Dumping Ground. This move comes directly from the Bombay High Court persistent directives, which have been pressing authorities to address the growing environmental and health crisis. The Kanjurmarg site, handling nearly 90% of Mumbai's daily solid waste, has been under intense scrutiny, especially after a University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) study in April 2026 ranked it as the world's 12th most polluting landfill, emitting a staggering 4.9 tonnes of methane per hour in 2025. Residents in nearby areas like Vikhroli and Bhandup have long suffered from the unbearable stench and related health hazards, prompting the High Court to conduct personal site inspections and even threaten closure if concrete steps aren't taken to curb pollution. This escalating crisis highlights Mumbai's broader challenges with waste management, with other major sites like Deonar also facing court-mandated closures and complex regeneration plans. The upcoming study will leverage advanced tools like drones, satellites, ground sensors, and GIS mapping, proposing six to ten monitoring stations around residential areas to get real-time data. With the BMC actively exploring solutions such as phased technological upgrades, waste-to-energy projects, and improved segregation, the ₹3.01-crore NEERI assessment is expected to provide critical insights and a long-term roadmap. The two-year timeline underscores the complexity of the problem, but promises a scientifically backed effort to clean up one of Mumbai's most pressing environmental liabilities.