Integrated Bio-remediation Approach for Legacy Waste Management at Urban Dumpsites: Case study of Nagpur

Before the 1970s, India had very limited engineered waste disposal facilities, and municipal refuse largely consisted of biodegradable organic matter that was traditionally composted and reused in agriculture, supporting a circular nutrient flow between urban and rural systems. The widespread introduction of plastics altered waste composition, leading to mixed disposal of organic and non-biodegradable materials, which impaired soil permeability and fertility when applied to farmland, forcing farmers to discontinue waste reuse. Consequently, urban local bodies resorted to unregulated open dumping beyond city limits, resulting in the accumulation of large volumes of legacy waste over decades. These dumpsites now function as major point sources of environmental pollution, generating contaminated leachate that degrades soil and groundwater, emitting methane that contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, and causing recurrent fires that deteriorate air quality. Recognizing the increasing risks, the Hon’ble National Green Tribunal mandated compliance with Clause ‘J’ of Schedule I of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, prompting local authorities, in line with CPCB guidelines and Swachh Bharat Mission advisories, to initiate bio-mining and bioremediation of legacy waste to mitigate environmental impacts and restore land usability.