Nearly half of India's legacy waste (1,067 lakh MT) is in small and medium sized cities, covering 17,658 acres
97% of the dumpsites are in small and medium sized cities
Smaller towns face challenges with limited capacity and financial resources, making legacy waste remediation more difficult
Legacy waste refers to solid waste accumulated and unprocessed for years at dumpsites or waste processing locations. India has 2,300 dumpsites holding 235.2 million MT of waste, covering an area equivalent to 83,000 cricket fields (SBM-U 2.0).
Unscientific landfills are major contributors to methane emissions. From 1994 to 2016, India's GHG emissions soared by 134%, with waste management contributing 2.7%. Globally, landfills emitted 1.6 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2016, projected to reach 2.6 billion tonnes by 2050, and it is estimated that India's landfills emit 0.334 Gt of methane annually. [1]
Small Town Dumpsites: A Hidden Struggle
India’s larger cities often dominate the dialogues around legacy waste management with prominent landfills like Gazipur, Deonar, and Dhapa. However, the reality extends far beyond these well-known metros. Dumpsites scattered across small towns nationwide reveal the overlooked challenges of waste management at the grassroot level. Often unnoticed, small towns are shouldering a disproportionate burden of India’s waste crisis.
A closer examination reveals that the bulk of these dumpsites, along with nearly half of legacy waste, are concentrated in small and medium towns (Populations < 1 million). While India has made 35% progress in remediating legacy waste, larger cities lead this success, leaving smaller towns struggling to catch up, highlighting their disproportionate burden in waste management.
BORDA South Asia with the support of BMZ has been actively working on legacy waste issues in 6 small towns in Karnataka’s Chikkaballapur district,— Chikkaballapur, Chintamani, Sidlaghatta, Gouribidanur, Bagepalli, and Gudibande —struggling with dumpsites holding 20,000 to 45,000 MT of waste each. These towns, representing 90% of India's statutory towns with populations of 10,000 to 700,000, collectively hold 1.5 lakh MT of legacy waste across 28 acres (Source - BORDA-SA research & study). Despite project approvals in 2021, ground-level issues have delayed remediation efforts. Some of these challenges are discussed below.
Low Waste Quantity in small towns discourages remediation investment
As we move to smaller towns, the quantity of legacy waste drastically reduces when compared to larger cities, impacting the scale of required investments.
The 2022 BORDA-SA report for Chintamani estimates a remediation cost of ₹3.6 crore for 0.45 lakh metric tons of waste, while Mangaluru faces ₹56.4 crore for 9 lakh metric tons. Larger projects are more profitable due to economies of scale, making legacy waste remediation capital-intensive. In Chintamani, the municipality's tenders for remediation have failed three times in 20 months due to poor participation and ineligible bids, leading to delays, administrative strain, and retendering challenges in attracting qualified vendors.
Dual Burden: Limited Technical Expertise and Funding Shortfalls
SBM 2.0’s standardised ₹800/MT funding for legacy waste remediation includes 50% central support, 33% state support, and 17% from municipalities
The remediation cost in Chikkaballapur is ₹4.5 crore. Despite seeming modest, this 17% municipal share (₹0.8 crore) is a significant burden with limited resources. As small towns have weak revenue sources and are reliant on tied grants that restrict flexibility further causes funding shortages for other essential projects.
Beyond financial constraints, small towns often lack the expertise for project management leading to tendering difficulties. Small towns often copy tender processes from larger cities which are impractical given their different project scale. They also struggle to find relevant case studies, roadmaps, and frameworks, complicating project implementation.
Will Blanket Approach Work?
The SBM 2.0's standard rate of ₹800/MT is inadequate for diverse regional needs. Remediation costs vary significantly, with ₹718/MT in Chikkaballapur, ₹842/MT in Vijayawada, ₹1193/MT in Noida, and ₹1600/MT(excluding disposal) in Leh (Source : BORDA-SA Research and Study). The standardised model fails to account for location, terrain, and waste composition, as seen in Leh’s remote challenges and lack of local RDF disposal facilities.
The SBM's "one-size-fits-all" approach won't work for waste remediation, as costs vary based on accessibility, terrain, and operational conditions.
Small Town: Big Example
Leh, an ecologically sensitive town in the trans-Himalayas, has set a notable example by adopting biomining to remediate the Bombgarh dumpsite, which spans across 28.4 acres with 1,00,000 MT of legacy waste. This unprocessed waste, accumulated over two decades, pose significant environmental hazards for nearby residents. To address this, Municipal Committe Leh employed a systematic bioremediation approach including pre-feasibility assessments with technical support of BORDA SA and LEDeG. The process involved excavating legacy waste, forming windrows, and stabilizing with bioculture spray. After stabilization, the waste was segregated using trommels to extract end products (Bio-earth, RDF, inerts, and recyclables). These fractions were then utilised for recycling (52%), land levelling (42%), and scientific disposal (6%).
Bombgarh dumpsite Before and After Photo of Reclaimed Area No. 22-27 (Photo by LEDeG)
Leh's legacy waste stabilization efforts have reduced GHG emissions and improved environmental resilience contributing to climate mitigation efforts. Despite challenges like extreme weather, limited skilled labor, and high costs due to rugged terrain, the project serves as an exemplary model for legacy waste management in small, remote towns.
The Need for a Collaborative Approach
Small towns, crucial to India’s sustainable development, deserve proper attention. A collaborative approach is essential: the central government should provide funding and policy support, states should tailor guidelines for small towns, and local bodies must prioritise effective waste management planning and implementation.
End Notes
[1] Kumar, S., Gaikwad, S. A., Shekdar, A. V., Kshirsagar, P. S. & Singh, R. N. 2004. “Estimation method for national methane emission from solid waste landfills,” Atmospheric environment 38(21), 3481-3487