Madhya Pradesh To Eliminate 60 Lakh Tonnes Of Legacy Waste By January 2026

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh has set an ambitious target to eliminate nearly 60 lakh tonnes of legacy waste from 109 cities by the end of January, 2026 under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

The government has earmarked Rs 300 crore for the project, which also includes establishing sanitary landfills in 49 districts to handle inert waste.

The Urban Administration and Development (UAD) Directorate of Madhya Pradesh has launched this extensive waste management drive under the SWACHH-MP campaign (Society Working Actively for Cleaner and Healthier Habitats in MP).

Officials said that tender processes have already been completed in 103 out of 109 cities, paving the way for waste clearance work to begin. The first step will focus on the removal of old or legacy waste that has accumulated for years.

Once this is disposed of, around 10% of the remaining garbage classified as inert waste that cannot be recycled or processed will be sent to scientific (sanitary) landfills. For this, inter-ULB (Urban Local Body) agreements will be signed among districts, with landfill disposal serving as the final option.

Multi-pronged Approach Focus on five key areas

• Clearing legacy waste

• Managing daily household waste

• Enforcing ban on single-use plastics

• Ensuring compliance by bulk waste generators

• Spreading public awareness

37 small cities have done their job

Progress has already been made, as 37 smaller cities, including Harda, Panna, Multai, Rewa, Balaghat, Mandla, Alirajpur and Nainpur have successfully cleared their tones of legacy waste. Similarly around 30 other cities have reached 70% elimination of the legacy waste. Indore has successfully addressed its legacy waste through comprehensive bioremediation project.

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Bio-remediation and bio-mining

Dumping grounds and 10-12 year old garbage heaps, commonly known as legacy waste, will be treated through bio-remediation and bio-mining. The government has directed that this process be completed by January 31, 2026. Municipal commissioners will issue completion certificates once the sites are fully cleared.

What is inert waste?

Inert waste is defined as waste that is neither chemically nor biologically reactive and decomposes slowly or not at all. This includes sand, concrete, and demolition trash. This is especially relevant to landfills because inert garbage often has lower disposal prices than biodegradable or hazardous waste.

Challenges ahead

• Gwalior city : 6.03 lakh tonnes

• Bhopal dist: 4.5 lakh tonnes

• Jabalpur city: 3.03 lakh tonnes

• Ujjain city: 47,000 tonnes

‘Long-term environmental benefits’

Additional Commissioner of UAD Parikshit Sanjayrao Zade told Free Press that the mission not only aims to clean cities of piled-up waste but also ensures scientific and sustainable disposal methods. “The project is expected to bring long-term environmental benefits and significantly improve urban sanitation standards across Madhya Pradesh,” said Zade.

Fund distribution:

Population wise cities

. Central Govt State Govt Urban local body

• Over 10 lakh 25% 25% 50%

• 1-10 lakh 33% 33% 34%

• Under 10 lakh 50% 40% 10%