Mumbai, May 28 -- With the previous 44-day extension for scientific remediation of old, overflowing landfills at the Mulund dumping ground expiring on Thursday, the contractor, Bio Mining India Private Limited, has sought yet another extension from the Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) citing severe shortage of diesel linked to the war in west Asia. In a letter dated May 12 to the civic body, the company sought more time to complete processing of the remaining nearly nine lakh metric tonne legacy waste, saying "acute shortage of diesel and commercial LPG have created operational hurdles that remain entirely beyond our control". The original deadline for bio-mining work at the dumping ground was October 2024, and this is the fourth time the contractor has sought an extension. The Mulund dumping ground, spread over 60 acres, was officially shut for fresh garbage dumping in January 2018, with surveys indicating nearly 7 million metric tonnes of legacy waste had accumulated at the site. The BMC subsequently appointed Bio Mining India to excavate, segregate and scientifically process the waste while reclaiming land, at a cost of about Rs.558 crore. Out of the contractual target of 7 million metric tonnes, processing of 800,000 metric tonnes waste is pending, officials said. Dattatray Warshe, project manager of the bio-mining facility at the dumping ground, said the site requires 13,000-14,000 litres of diesel per day to run at full capacity, but current procurement was limited to 4,000-5,000 litres due to severe shortage, reducing operational capacity to nearly one-third. Under an arrangement with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), fuel is supplied through tankers directly to around 150 dumpers, 45 excavators and other machines at the dumping ground as it does not have any storage facility. As on Wednesday, nearly 800,000 metric tonnes of waste remained to be processed, which would require 180 working days, Warshe said. Kiran Dighavkar, deputy municipal commissioner (solid waste management) said a decision would be taken on the plea after a meeting with the municipal commissioner. Operations have been allowed to continue in the interim, he noted. A senior civic official said considering the present situation, the contractor would have to be granted one more extension to complete the pending work....