Context: Depalpur, Madhya Pradesh, became the first city under the Swachh Shehar Jodi initiative to achieve Zero Legacy Waste, remediating 1,250 metric tonnes of legacy waste accumulated over five years under SBM-U 2.0.
About Mission Zero: Depalpur’s Legacy Waste Transformation
What It Is?
- It is a scientific legacy-waste remediation and urban waste-management initiative undertaken by Depalpur Nagar Parishad with Indore Municipal Corporation under the Swachh Shehar Jodi initiative of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0).
- It follows the Each One Teach One model, where experienced mentor cities transfer waste-management practices to mentee cities.
Key Findings:
- Zero Legacy Waste: Depalpur completely remediated 1,250 metric tonnes of waste accumulated at its dumpsite over five years.
- Four-Bin Segregation: Achieved 100% door-to-door collection with segregation of municipal waste into four categories.
- Resource Recovery: Around 4.5 tonnes of plastic, metal and glass were recovered and supplied to authorised recyclers.
- RDF Processing: Around 50–60 tonnes of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) was sent to the NEPRA plant in Indore and subsequently to cement factories for co-processing.
- Mentor–Mentee Model: Over 500 ragpickers from Indore participated alongside Depalpur’s machinery, demonstrating structured peer learning and inter-city cooperation.
Significance:
- Converts legacy waste into recyclables and RDF, reducing landfill dependence and promoting resource recovery.
- Depalpur demonstrates how the Swachh Shehar Jodi Each One Teach One model can transfer successful waste-management practices between cities.
- The remediated dumpsite is being transformed into a green public space, beginning with the plantation of 200 saplings and planned community activities.
Relevance in UPSC Exam Syllabus:
- GS Paper II: Government policies and interventions; urban local bodies; participatory and collaborative governance.
- GS Paper III: Waste management, environmental pollution, circular economy, sustainable urbanisation and resource efficiency.
- Essay: Sustainable cities, community participation, behavioural change and environmental governance.
