Over 1,000 lakh tonnes of Legacy Waste Not Cleared; India Extends Dumpsite Deadline to December 2027
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The Centre has pushed the deadline to clear all legacy dumpsites across Indian cities to December 2027, with over 1,000 lakh tonnes of waste still sitting across thousands of acres.
Under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, launched in 2021 with an initial five-year timeline ending October 2026, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs aimed to remediate all legacy landfills nationwide. While the overall mission has been extended until March 2027, officials confirmed that clearing the remaining legacy waste will stretch until December 2027.
Current Dumpsite Status and Dashboard Data
Data from the Swachh Bharat Mission dashboard shows that out of 2,607 total dumpsites, 1,402 have been completely remediated. Work is ongoing at 1,057 sites, while 148 sites show no progress.
Out of 3,135 lakh tonnes of waste spread across 15,545.05 acres, authorities have cleared 64% of the waste quantity and reclaimed 70% of the land area. This leaves 1,139 lakh tonnes of waste spanning 4,632 acres awaiting remediation.
Minister Highlights Challenges in Major Metros
Speaking on the sidelines of the Swachh Survekshan Awards, Union Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal provided updates on key urban landfills.
"The work on the Bhalswa site in Delhi will be completed by December 31," Lal said. "The legacy waste will be cleared, but fresh waste is still going there. The fresh waste will be processed separately. The Okhla site is almost clear, but Ghazipur will take one more year. Among the big cities, if there is any difficulty, it is in Chennai and Mumbai."
In Mumbai, municipal authorities recently started trials to remove waste from the Deonar dumpsite, ranked among Asia's oldest and largest legacy landfills.
To fast-track progress, the Ministry launched the Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme last year, targeting 214 high-volume sites that account for 80% of the pending waste footprint nationwide.
