Agra Sets New Benchmark in Waste Management Under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban

Agra Municipal Corporation, under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U), transforms the Kuberpur dumpsite into the Integrated Waste Management City. The project features 100% source segregation, multiple Material Recovery Facilities, bioremediation, biomining, and green land reclamation, setting a national standard for sustainable urban waste management.

Agra’s Remarkable Journey: From a Toxic Dumpsite to a Green, Sustainable City - In its mission to create a clean and waste-free city by implementing the 3R principles—Reduce, Reuse, recycle—Agra Municipal Corporation, under the SBM-U has achieved a historic milestone. This success is not just a technological advancement but also an exemplar of environmental conservation, sustainable development, and public awareness.

Way back in 2007, the land at Kuberpur, functioned as a typical landfill site. Thousands of tons of solid waste collected daily by the municipal corporation were dumped here. Over the years, this dumpsite dutifully served the city, but gradually it became a center of distress itself.

In 2019, inspired by the Hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and under the guidance of Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath, Agra Municipal Corporation took concrete steps to address this serious problem. Under expert technical guidance, the process of removing legacy waste began through bioremediation and biomining technologies. This initiative was executed with the collaboration of SPAAK Super Infra Pvt. Ltd., gradually breathing new life into the land.

However, the challenge was far from over, as fresh waste continued to be deposited daily. To tackle this, a 300 TPD (tons per day) waste-to-compost plant was established in 2019, later expanded to 500 TPD. The year 2023 marked a turning point. The Municipal Corporation resolved to completely free the dumpsite and develop it into an Integrated Waste Management City.

Four Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) with a combined capacity of 405 TPD have been established across the city to streamline waste management. To ensure efficiency, 100% source-level segregation of waste has been implemented, and door-to-door collection of segregated waste has been made mandatory. Additionally, several specialized waste processing facilities have been set up:

By December 2024, approximately 1.9 million metric tons of waste were removed from the dumpsite using bioremediation and biomining, reclaiming about 47 acres of land at an estimated cost of ₹320 crores. Out of this reclaimed land, 10 acres have been developed with greenery using the Miyawaki afforestation technique. Five acres have been converted into a modern sanitary landfill for the safe disposal of inert waste. The remaining area has been transformed into an eco-friendly zone. Work has begun to develop a 10-acre urban forest.

In January 2025, a 65 TPD MRF-cum-Plastic Waste Processing Plant was inaugurated, where plastic waste is recycled into water pipes that farmers can purchase at affordable prices. Today, this site is no longer just a dumping ground but the "Integrated Waste Management City of Agra." It is fully revitalized, serving the city effectively and stands as a national model for environmental protection and urban governance.

The center has also become an educational and awareness hub where students and researchers from schools, colleges, IITs, research institutes, and private universities learn how sustainable solutions can be developed.

Agra Municipal Corporation’s visionary and innovative initiative align perfectly with the goals of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0. This effort represents a powerful step toward sustainable waste management, land reclamation, and urban beautification.