MUMBAI: The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India has approved a budget of Rs 433.72 crore for the Government of Maharashtra’s ‘Legacy Waste Remediation Proposal’. ‘Lakshya Zero Dumpsite’ is a project under Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0, which was launched in October 2021, to make Indian cities ‘Garbage Free’ and incorporate principles of circular economy for creating sustainable urban spaces.
Legacy waste deposited in garbage dumpsites over the years is a major problem of cities all over India. Not only do they pollute the environment, but also occupy valuable land. To deal with this problem, 28 urban local bodies of Maharashtra have submitted proposals to the state government for remediation of these dumpsites (3.7 MT of waste). Mumbai has the most amount of Legacy Waste. The city intends to clear 2.6 crore metric tonnes of legacy waste through remediation, in turn, clearing up 355 acres of land.
States across India have taken up the baton for making ‘Garbage Free Cities’, with assistance from the central government, which has approved the proposal of 500 cities for Legacy Waste Remediation in states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, etc.