Centre okays Rs 433.74 cr legacy waste remediation for state

Mumbai aims to remediate 2.6 cr-MT of legacy waste to transform its urban landscape by reclaiming nearly 355 acres of valuable land

The Maharashtra government’s plan to effectively implement its solid waste management has received a major boost, with the Centre approving its proposal worth Rs 433.74 crore of 28 urban local bodies (ULBs) to remediate over 3.7 crore metric tons of urban waste.

With the variety of ULBs having diverse and dense populations, the project will ensure ecological balance in about 1,532 acres of land.

Remediation of waste is a remedial action involving removal of hazardous waste and its proper replacement, also including treatment of contaminated soil and groundwater.

The 28 ULBs of Maharashtra had submitted action plans for remediation of dumpsites to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, which is the nodal ministry for the implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0, which has since been approved.

Greater Mumbai holds the maximum amount of legacy waste (waste collected for years or decades in landfills) in the state. It aims to remediate 2.6 crore-MT of legacy waste to transform its urban landscape by reclaiming approximately 355 acres of valuable land under the ‘Lakshya Zero Dumpsite’ mission.

Thane Municipal Corporation is all set to remediate 8.3 lakh-MT of waste lying in the city’s dumpsite, while Mira-Bhayandar plans to remediate approximately 9 lakh-MT of legacy waste, reclaiming acres of prime land for optimum utilisation.

According to the urban development department, legacy dumpsites pose major threats to the environment and contribute to air pollution and water pollution. Clearing these mountains of years-old waste is critical to not just transforming the urban landscape of the country, but also addressing the issue of public health and environmental concerns.

The Centre’s move has come days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the plan to make Indian cities garbage-free and one of the major objectives under the mission is ‘Lakshya Zero Dumpsite’ to remediate 16 crore-tonnes of legacy waste dumpsites occupying nearly 15,000 acres of city land parcels. The vision of Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 is to achieve sustainable sanitation and scientific waste processing to create ‘garbage free’ cities.

28 ULBs of the state had submitted action plans for remediation of dumpsites to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs