What is the status of the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0?

Sub: Schemes

Sec: Health

Legacy Waste Dumpsites in India

The Central Government launched the Legacy Waste Management Project under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 2.0 in October 2021, aiming to remediate these dumpsites by 2026.
Current Status:
- India has over 3,000 legacy waste dumpsites.
- 2,424 dumpsites have waste loads exceeding 1,000 tonnes.
- Only 471 (19.43%) of the 2,424 dumpsites have been fully remediated halfway through the project period.

What are Legacy Waste Dumpsites?

These dumpsites contain unmanaged solid waste accumulated over many years in an unscientific manner.
India generates approximately 1,50,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily (as per the State of India’s Environment 2023 report).
Due to a lack of solid waste management infrastructure, municipal corporations often create garbage hills in city outskirts, which are now part of urban areas due to city expansion.
Around 16 crore tonnes of legacy waste is spread across 15,000 acres of prime land in India.

Health Hazards of Legacy Waste

Exposure to emissions from legacy dumpsites can cause:
- Irritation of the mouth and throat.
- Methane exposure leading to nausea, vomiting, and coordination loss.
- Ragpickers often suffer from skin allergies due to prolonged waste exposure.
- Residents near landfills may develop tuberculosis, asthma, diabetes, depression, cholera, malaria, and other diseases.
These dumpsites also emit significant amounts of greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM):

Launched on October 2, 2014, the Swachh Bharat Mission aimed to eliminate open defecation and create Open Defecation Free (ODF) villages.
SBM-Urban 2.0 (2021-2026):
- Focus on making all cities “garbage-free” and maintaining ODF status.
- Includes goals like 100% source segregation, door-to-door waste collection, and scientific waste management.
- Aims to remediate all legacy dumpsites and convert them into green zones.
- Provisions for scientific landfills to prevent the creation of new dumpsites.

Progress on Dumpsite Remediation

As of September 2024, out of 2,424 dumpsites:
- 471 have been fully remediated.
- 1,226 are under remediation.
- 727 sites remain untouched.
Land Reclamation:
- 27% of the total 17,039 acres of dumpsite land has been reclaimed.
- Tamil Nadu leads with 837 acres (42%) reclaimed.
- Gujarat has reclaimed 75% of its landfill area (698 out of 938 acres).

Financial Aspects

Central Share assistance of ₹3,226 crore has been approved for remediation projects.
State and Union Territory governments are required to provide matching funds.