The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has announced major progress in clearing India’s accumulated waste dumps and converting them into public spaces. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, launched in October 2021, cities are transforming decades-old dumpsites into parks, forests and waste processing facilities. The effort has gained speed, with 459 Urban Local Bodies across 29 States completing full dumpsite remediation during 2025.
The Scale and Method
Between January and December 2025, Indian cities remediated 3.66 crore metric tonnes of legacy waste. The Lakshya Zero Dumpsite initiative provides a structured, time-bound approach to this work across all States and local bodies. The Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme, launched in November 2025, aims to fast-track the remaining dumpsites nationwide.
The remediation uses a process called biomining, where accumulated waste is excavated, sorted and separated into useful materials. Refuse-derived fuel is sent to cement industries. Black soil is used to fill low-lying areas. Recyclable materials are recovered. This scientific approach prevents waste from simply being moved from one place to another.
What Is Happening on the Ground
- In Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, a 40-acre waste mound that accumulated over seven years has become the Kachre Se Kanchan Rapti Eco Park, with walking tracks, a children’s play area, yoga zone and restaurants. It now attracts around 500 visitors daily.
- In Delhi’s Bhalswa dumpsite, 99.07 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste had been remediated by 31 July 2026, with over half the 70-acre site reclaimed by May 2026.
- In Nagpur, the Bhandewadi dumping yard has become an Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Processing Facility where waste is composted and processed using modern machines, reducing dependence on landfills and improving air, water and soil quality.
- In Raichur, Karnataka, 22 acres of the Yakalaspura dumpsite have been reclaimed, with around 60,000 bamboo and native saplings planted to create a Miyawaki forest and restore the soil.
What This Means for You
Cities are reclaiming valuable urban land that has been locked under waste for years. This creates new public spaces for recreation and community gathering, improves local air and water quality, and generates local jobs through waste processing and related activities. The shift from simply dumping waste to scientifically processing it reduces the need for new dumpsites, meaning less pressure on land around your city. Tracking continues through City Solid Waste Action Plans, the SBM-U portal and annual rankings to ensure these improvements are sustained.