Remediation of legacy waste dumpsites under the Swachh Bharat Mission

Source: The post remediation of legacy waste dumpsites under the Swachh Bharat Mission has been created, based on the article “What is the status of the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0?” published in “The Hindu” on 4th October is 2024

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2- Governance-Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes

Context: The article discusses India’s legacy waste dumpsites, which are large areas filled with unprocessed solid waste. It highlights health hazards from these sites, outlines the government’s Swachh Bharat Mission aimed at remediation, and notes progress, with only 19.43% of dumpsites fully remediated.

For detailed information on Swachh Bharat Mission’s 10-year impact read this article here

What are legacy waste dumpsites?

1. Legacy waste dumpsites store solid waste collected over years without scientific management.
2. India generates approximately 1,50,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, as per the State of India’s Environment 2023 report.
3. There are more than 3,000 such dumpsites, with 2,424 holding over 1,000 tonnes of waste.
4. These sites, once on city outskirts, are now often in city centers due to urban expansion.
5. About 15,000 acres of land is buried under 16 crore tonnes of legacy waste across India.

What are the health hazards of legacy waste dumpsites?

1. Emissions from hazardous waste at legacy dumpsites can irritate the mouth and throat.
2. Inhaling methane from landfills can cause nausea, vomiting, and loss of coordination.
3. Ragpickers working at landfills often develop skin allergies due to prolonged waste exposure.
4. People living near landfills are prone to diseases such as tuberculosis, asthma, diabetes, depression, cholera, and malaria.
5. Dumpsites are a source of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane and carbon dioxide, contributing to environmental damage.

What is the Swachh Bharat Mission?

1. The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) was launched by the Central government on October 2, 2014, to eliminate open defecation.
2. Its first phase aimed for an Open Defecation Free (ODF) India by October 2, 2019, coinciding with Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.
3. In 2021, SBM-U 2.0 was launched to make all cities garbage-free by 2026.
4. It aims for 100% waste segregation, door-to-door collection, and scientific management of waste.
5. The mission includes the remediation of legacy dumpsites, converting them into green zones ₹3,226 crore has been approved for the remediation of dumpsites.

For detailed information on Swachh Bharat Mission read Article 1, Article 2

What progress has been made so far?

1. As of September 2023, 471 out of 2,424 legacy waste dumpsites have been fully remediated, making up 19.43% of the total.
2. Remediation is ongoing for 1,226 dumpsites, while 727 remain untouched.
3. A total of 27% of the 17,039.71 acres of land buried under waste has been reclaimed, leaving 73% still awaiting remediation.
4. Tamil Nadu has reclaimed 837 acres (42%).
5. Gujarat is the best-performing state, reclaiming 75% of its landfill area, amounting to 698 out of 938 acres of land reclaimed.

Question for practice:

Examine the progress made in the remediation of legacy waste dumpsites under the Swachh Bharat Mission as of September 2023.