Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme (DRAP)

Why in News?

The Swachh Bharat Mission has improved sanitation and waste management in cities, creating cleaner urban spaces, to speed up this progress, the Government of India introduced the Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme (DRAP) in November 2025.

What about Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme (DRAP)?

• DRAP – It is a year-long, mission-mode initiative aimed at fast-tracking the remediation of remaining dumpsites across urban India.
• Objective – To accelerate remediation, achieve 100% clearance in 1 year, stop new dumpsites, and reuse land for SWM/green cover.
• Launched under – Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0)
• Under the – Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
• Target – Achieving “Lakshya: Zero Dumpsites” by October 2026.
• Dumpsite – ULBs often use land to dump municipal solid waste, where unscientific disposal over decades harms the environment and creates long-term health risks for nearby communities.
• Legacy Dumpsite Remediation – It is the process of scientifically cleaning up the old legacy waste dumpsites, using inert and construction debris for road building, and combustible fraction for energy generation.

What is the current situation of legacy dumpsites?

• Identified Dumpsites – India has identified about 2,479 dumpsites, mostly those holding over 1,000 tonnes or more of legacy waste.
• Together, these dumpsites hold about 25 crore metric tonnes of waste, covering nearly 15,000 acres of land.
• Urban Waste Generation – Rising urban waste adds to the legacy waste problem, cities generate about 1,62,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, with total waste expected to reach 165 million tonnes by 2030 and 436 million tonnes by 2050.
• Current Remediation Progress – Currently, remediation is underway at 1,428 dumpsites across the country and over 62% of legacy waste has already been processed. 
• High-Impact Sites Under the DRAP – A total of 214 dumpsites across 30 States/UTs and 200 ULBs hold about 8.6 crore metric tonnes of waste, making up nearly 80% of India’s remaining legacy waste.
• Two-Pronged Approach – To tackle legacy dumpsites is by 
  • Removing old dumpsites through remediation
  • Preventing new ones by establishing waste processing facilities.

• Achievements in 2025
  • Complete Remediation – 459 dumpsites in 438 cities across 26 States have been fully cleared, removing 183 LMT of legacy waste.
  • Cumulative Progress – In total, 1,138 dumpsites across 1,048 cities in 29 States have been remediated, with 877 LMT of waste processed.
  • Future Goal – The Government aims to prevent the creation of new dumpsites by ensuring scientific waste processing.
  • Land Use – Reclaimed land will be prioritised for solid waste management facilities or developed as green cover.

What is the DRAP’s 5P Strategy for Zero dumpsites?

• Political Leadership – Political leadership speeds up remediation by adopting dumpsites, ensuring strong supervision, faster decisions, and quicker resolution of on-ground challenges.
  • For Example, Delhi’s Bhalswa dumpsite, adopted by Union Minister Manohar Lal, here 25 acres were remediated, of this 5 acres developed with bamboo plantations, and 20 acres prepared for sanitation activities and processing facilities.
• Public Finance – Enhanced financial assistance to cities with substantial legacy waste loads, which includes
  • Central Financial Assistance (CFA) - Rs 550 per tonne of legacy waste.
  • Disbursement categories - 25%, 33%, or 50% of the project cost, depending on city type.
  • Coverage - Both legacy waste remediation and fresh waste processing.
• Approved Projects - Rs 6,700 crore sanctioned for 214 targeted sites.
• Partnerships – Collaboration with multiple institutions to ensure that remediation scale and efficiently, partners includes
  • Corporates & PSUs.
  • Infrastructure agencies (PWDs, Highways, NHAI).
  • Cement plants, waste-to-energy facilities, industries.
  • Technical experts & engineers.
  • NGOs & civil society organisations.
• People’s Participation – With an aim to make remediation a socially inclusive transformation, not just technical - Communities near dumpsites face fumes, fires, odour, and disease,
• DRAP ensures inclusivity through health camps, awareness drives, safe working conditions for Safai Mitras, site-specific branding, etc.
• Project Management – A strong, technology-enabled project management system (backbone of DRAP) that reduces delays and increases accountability.

Where those waste goes after remediation?

• Biomining – Legacy waste is scientifically cleaned and stabilised, reducing landfill pressure.
• Waste is spread in rows, exposed to air, and treated with microbes to speed up decomposition.
• Once dry and stable, it is screened into categories: soil-like fines, bricks, stones, metals, plastics, clothes, and recyclables.
• Each material is reused (roads, recycling, composting, industrial co-processing).
• As a result, the dumpsite waste is converted into resources, with very little sent to landfills.
• End-Use Pathways of Segregated Waste
  • Inert & Soil-like Material – Used for roads, embankments, and land leveling, reduces demand for fresh sand/soil.
  • Construction & Demolition (C&D) Waste – Converted into paver blocks, tiles, bricks, and aggregates.
  • Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) – It means fuel derived from combustible in nature but is not recyclable, such as soiled paper, cloth, plastics, rubber, thermocol, wood, etc.
  • It is supplied to cement factories, waste-to-energy plants, and other industries as an alternative to coal.
  • Recyclables – Include materials like plastic, paper, metal, glass, and cardboard are recycled into new products.
  • Biodegradable Waste – It includes food scraps, kitchen waste, garden waste are converted into compost or organic material.
  • Non-reusable Rejects – Sent to scientific landfills, not dumped in the open.
• Circular Economy Approach – Ensures that legacy dumpsites are eliminated permanently while enabling sustainable resource recovery.

How is the waste processing ecosystem under SBM–Urban 2.0?

• Strengthening Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) – SBM–Urban 2.0 aims to set up at least one MRF in each city.
• Current Status – There are 2,900 operational plants with 67,000 TPD capacity, additionally, 43,800 TPD of MRF capacity has been approved.
• Wet Waste Processing & Composting – Currently there are 2,800 plants with 1.14 lakh TPD capacity, an additional capacity of 47,200 TPD has been approved.
• Biomethanation – At present, 131 plants with a cumulative capacity of 4,253 TPD are operational across the country.
• Compressed Biogas (CBG) Plants – 145 CBG plants with a capacity of 20,155 TPD are under implementation.
• Waste-to-Electricity (WtE) Facilities – Cities with a population of more than 10 lakh are required to establish higher-order processing facilities, such as WtE plants for the treatment of dry waste.
• Current Status – There are 17 operational WtE plants with a total processing capacity of 20,100 TPD and a power generation capacity of approximately 261 MWh.

What lies ahead?

• Mission Target – By 2026, achieving Zero Dumpsites will embed scientific waste management into everyday municipal work and formally include waste pickers and sanitation workers, strengthening modern urban governance.
• Alignment with Global Goals – Removing legacy dumpsites moves cities from open dumping to circular waste practices, advancing SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
• Long-Term Benefits – Over the longer term, the removal of dumpsites will support improved land-use planning, reduced environmental stress, and healthier urban living conditions.
• Broader Vision – Mission Zero Dumpsites contributes to the broader vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, where urban growth is aligned with sustainability, productivity, and long-term quality of life.

Reference

PIB | Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme