Lucknow’s Scientific Waste Revolution

Urban waste challenge in growing cities

Lucknow’s Scientific Waste Revolution: Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, generates nearly 2,000 metric tonnes of municipal waste daily due to rapid urbanisation, population growth, and commercial expansion. Managing this volume requires advanced infrastructure and scientific planning.

Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) adopted an integrated waste management strategy focused on segregation, processing, recycling, and resource recovery. The objective was to eliminate open dumping and ensure environmentally safe disposal.

Shivari plant milestone

The inauguration of the third fresh waste processing plant at Shivari marked a major milestone. With this facility, Lucknow became Uttar Pradesh’s first city to scientifically process 100% of fresh municipal waste.

This achievement earned the city the status of a “Zero Fresh Waste Dump City”, meaning no newly generated waste is dumped openly. It reflects a transition from dumping-based disposal to processing-based management.

City-wide waste processing capacity

The Shivari plant processes 700 metric tonnes per day, adding to the two existing plants. The combined capacity now stands at 2,100 metric tonnes per day, matching the city’s daily waste generation.

This alignment ensures that all fresh waste is treated scientifically, without creating new dumping grounds or landfill pressure.

Static GK fact: Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous state, making urban waste management a major governance challenge across its cities.

Segregation and processing system

Waste collection follows a door-to-door model, achieving 96.53% coverage. More than 70% segregation at source is now operational.

Waste is divided into organic (55%) and inorganic (45%) components. Organic waste is converted into compost and biogas, while inorganic waste is recycled or converted into Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF).

Bhumi Green Energy operates the plants in partnership with LMC, ensuring technological and operational efficiency.

Legacy waste remediation

Lucknow earlier had 18.5 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste. Out of this, 12.86 lakh metric tonnes has already been scientifically processed.

Recovered materials were reused instead of dumping, demonstrating sustainable landfill remediation practices.

Static GK Tip: Legacy waste remediation is a key component of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban framework.

Resource generation from waste

Scientific processing has generated multiple reusable outputs. 2.27 lakh metric tonnes of RDF has been supplied for industrial co-processing.

Other outputs include coarse waste (4.38 lakh MT), bio-soil (0.59 lakh MT), and construction and demolition waste (2.35 lakh MT) used in infrastructure and land filling projects.

This model converts waste into economic and infrastructural resources.

Land recovery and infrastructure creation

Over 25 acres of land has been reclaimed through legacy waste processing. This land now hosts a fully developed waste treatment complex.

Facilities include windrow pads, internal roads, processing sheds, weighbridges, and operational infrastructure for continuous waste management.

Waste-to-energy expansion

LMC is establishing a 15 MW Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plant at Shivari. It will consume 1,000–1,200 metric tonnes of RDF daily to generate electricity.

This reduces transport costs and dependence on distant cement plants located nearly 500 km away, strengthening local energy recovery.

Model for sustainable cities

Lucknow’s model follows circular economy principles, where waste becomes a resource rather than a burden. Dumping reduction, recycling expansion, and energy generation form the core pillars.

The city now stands as a national urban governance model for scientific waste management and sustainable urban development.

Static GK fact: India’s first municipal solid waste rules were introduced in 2000, later upgraded as Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.

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Lucknow’s Scientific Waste Revolution: