SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) | Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
Building on the foundation of the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Government of India launched the Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme (DRAP) in November 2025 to achieve “Lakshya: Zero Dumpsites” by October 2026. The program targets approximately 2,479 identified dumpsites nationwide, which contain an estimated 25 crore metric tonnes of legacy waste spread across nearly 15,000 acres. As of January 2026, over 62% of legacy waste has been processed, with the DRAP prioritizing 214 high-impact sites that contain nearly 80% of the remaining waste load.
The 5P Framework and Biomining Protocols The DRAP is operationalized through the 5P Framework (Political Leadership, Public Finance, Partnerships, People’s Participation, and Project Management) to ensure accountability and efficiency.
Biomining Process: Legacy waste is scientifically stabilized and separated into usable components—soil-like fines, recyclables, and Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF)—ensuring a circular economy approach where waste is repurposed rather than dumped.
Political Adoption: Senior leaders have “adopted” major dumpsites to accelerate clearances. For instance, Union Minister Manohar Lal adopted Delhi’s Bhalswa dumpsite, which remediated nearly 4.8 lakh MT of waste in late 2025, reclaiming 25 acres for green cover and processing infrastructure.
Public Finance: The government provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) at ₹550 per tonne of legacy waste to support Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in large-scale remediation.
Expanding the Waste Processing Ecosystem To prevent the creation of new dumpsites, the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 is aggressively expanding infrastructure. This includes over 2,900 operational Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and 2,800 waste-to-compost plants. The mission aims to move toward mechanization of large-scale MRFs and the establishment of Biomethanation and Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants to manage wet waste efficiently.
What is the “Biomining” process used under the Lakshya Zero Dumpsite mission? Biomining is the scientific process of excavating and cleaning legacy waste from old dumpsites. The waste is spread in rows and treated with bio-cultures (microbes) to speed up decomposition. Once stable and dry, the waste is mechanically screened to separate it into soil-like material (for road building), recyclables (plastics, metals), and Refuse-Derived Fuel (combustible waste used in cement plants as a coal alternative). This ensures that a mixed “garbage hill” is converted into valuable resources with minimal residue left for landfills.
Policy Relevance
The Lakshya Zero Dumpsite mission is a strategic imperative for India’s urban health and environmental security.
Environmental Health: Eliminating dumpsites directly reduces methane emissions, prevents groundwater contamination from leachate, and mitigates toxic fumes from frequent dumpsite fires.
Land Reclamation: Remediated land (approx. 15,000 acres) is being prioritized for Solid Waste Management infrastructure or green belts, providing valuable urban space for infrastructure and climate mitigation.
Circular Economy: Repurposing inert waste for NHAI road construction and RDF for industrial fuel embeds the principles of “waste-to-wealth” into national infrastructure planning.
Viksit Bharat 2047 Alignment: By achieving Zero Dumpsites, India is aligning its urban growth with global sustainability standards, enhancing the overall quality of life and productivity in Indian cities.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs incentivize the 200 prioritised Urban Local Bodies to utilize the reclaimed land for high-tech “Recycling Hubs” to ensure that the Zero Dumpsite goal remains sustainable past 2026?
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