A Garbage Site Mumbai Cannot Ignore Anymore

For years, the Mulund dumping ground was one of those places people knew about but did not want to live near. It was linked with garbage, smell, smoke, health worries and the everyday discomfort of a landfill sitting close to neighbourhoods. Now that same land is at the centre of a very different debate. Should it become a park? Should it become a golf course? Should part of it be used for public facilities? Or should the city first ask what residents actually need? The site has been closed for fresh waste since 2018, but the story is not over. Cleaning legacy waste is still a major job. Reports have noted that the land has attracted different redevelopment ideas, including a golf course proposal, a possible hospital demand and even land use linked to the Dharavi redevelopment project. That is why this is not only a local Mulund issue. It is a bigger Mumbai question: when a dumping ground is finally cleared, who should the land serve?

From Dumping to Dream Project

The idea of changing a former landfill into something green sounds attractive. After decades of living with the burden of dumping, residents naturally want relief. Nobody wants the next generation to remember the area only as a garbage site. The civic administration has already moved toward studying a golf course on the defunct landfill. Hindustan Times earlier reported that the BMC commissioned a feasibility study for a golf course on the 64-acre land parcel at Durgawadi in Mulund east. That move appeared to push aside other suggestions, including demands for a cancer or eye hospital. For supporters, a golf course could turn a damaged site into a green, planned space. They may argue that it can improve the area’s image, attract better maintenance and create a new recreational landmark. But for many others, the question is simple: should scarce public land in Mumbai become a golf course when the city also needs hospitals, parks, sports grounds and open spaces for ordinary residents?

Why the Golf Course Idea Is Controversial

A golf course sounds glamorous, but that is exactly why it is being questioned. Mumbai does not have much open land left. Whenever a large parcel becomes available, people expect it to be used carefully. A former landfill is not just empty land. It is land that residents tolerated for years. People living around the site faced pollution, smell and health risks. So many will feel that they should get the first say in what comes next. The mention of Professional golf tour in India may make the project sound aspirational. But the civic question remains different. Will the space be accessible to local people? Will it serve only a small section? Will it include public green areas? Will environmental safety be properly handled? These are the questions that matter before any final decision.

The Cleanup Is Still the Real Challenge

Before any big dream can happen, the land has to be made safe and usable. That is not easy. Times of India reported that the BMC’s biomining project at the Mulund site has faced delays. The dumping ground stopped receiving waste in 2018, but a large amount of legacy waste has still needed processing. One report said the ₹731-crore biomining project had treated 5.8 million tonnes out of 7.8 million tonnes, with 2.2 million tonnes still unprocessed at the time of reporting. That detail matters because redevelopment cannot be only about a beautiful artist impression. If the ground is not properly cleared, treated and tested, any future project could carry environmental risks. The first promise to residents should not be a golf course or a park. It should be clean, safe land.

Different Demands, One Land Parcel

The future of the site has become crowded with ideas. BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha has pushed the golf course idea. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Milind Narvekar has argued that a cancer or eye hospital can also be developed on the land. Reports have also said that the Dharavi redevelopment project body sought 15 acres from the closed site for a casting yard and construction-related facilities. This is where the debate becomes complicated. A hospital would answer a public health need. A park would answer an open-space need. A golf course would answer a recreational and image-building idea. A casting yard would serve a major redevelopment project elsewhere in the city. All of these may have their own logic. But the land cannot satisfy every demand unless the planning is transparent and balanced. For Mulund, the decision will shape how the neighbourhood is seen for decades.

What Residents May Want Most

For local residents, the answer may be simpler than the political debate. They want the smell gone. They want the land cleaned properly. They want fewer health worries. They want open space that families can actually use. Many may not oppose beautification. But they may oppose a project that feels distant from their daily needs. A public park, walking track, sports facilities, health centre, children’s play area, tree cover and community space may feel more directly useful than a restricted recreational facility. If a golf course is planned, people will want to know whether it will be open, affordable and environmentally safe. After living beside a landfill for years, residents deserve more than a symbolic makeover.

The Bigger Picture

The second mention of Mulund dumping ground matters because this site is now a test case for Mumbai. The city has many old urban wounds: landfills, polluted creeks, crowded roads, shortage of open spaces and unequal access to civic facilities. Turning a garbage site into something useful is a good idea. But the real question is what kind of “useful” the city chooses. A green project should not only look good from above. It should work for the people on the ground. It should repair environmental damage, serve local residents and give Mumbai a model for how old landfill land can be recovered responsibly. If done well, the site can become a story of renewal. If done badly, it may become another fight over valuable public land.

For The United Indian

Why This Matters

At The United Indian, we look beyond the golf course headline. This story is about how Mumbai chooses to reuse land that once carried the burden of the city’s waste.

The Bigger Picture

The future of this site should not be decided only by glamour or politics. It should balance environment, public health, open space and local residents’ needs.

Stay With Us

Follow The United Indian for grounded stories on cities, civic planning and the decisions that shape everyday urban life.