CSE releases roadmap for legacy waste management, dumpsite remediation

Source: The post is based on the article “CSE releases roadmap for legacy waste management, dumpsite remediation” published in The Print on 15th September 2022.

What is the News?

The Centre for Science and Environment(CSE) has released a roadmap for legacy waste management in a bid to support India’s garbage-free cities agenda.

What is Legacy Waste?

The term ‘legacy waste’ has not been defined in any official government document in India.

But it typically refers to wastes that are collected and kept for years at some barren land or a place dedicated to a Landfill (an area to dump solid waste).

Significance: The term ‘legacy waste’ has received close attention in the wake of Swachh Bharat Mission(SBM) 2.0 which mandates that cities in India should clear legacy waste sites, reclaim the land and prevent more waste from reaching dumpsites.

Note: The operational guidelines of the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 had made it mandatory for cities with a population of less than a million to clear legacy waste sites by March 31, 2023. Cities with a population of more than a million are to remediate their dumpsites by March 31, 2024.

What is the roadmap of CSE on legacy waste?

The CSE has prepared a seven-point roadmap which includes: 1) developing a sustainable solid waste management plan, 2) ensuring maximum utilization of recovered fractions, 3) reusing the reclaimed land sustainably on the basis of a comprehensive policy and protocol, 4) developing standards for gainful use of recovered fractions, 5) incentivising management of recovered materials 6) building capacity of urban departments and 7) ensuring sustainable operation of sanitary landfills.