NEW DELHI: To support ‘Lakshya Zero Dumpsites ’initiative to get rid of legacy waste, the ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) on Saturday launched initiative under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) 2.0 -- the Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme (DRAP).
This one-year-long programme adopts a fast-tracked, structured approach to remediate these dumpsites at an accelerated pace, reclaiming precious land for uses in utility services, parks, green lungs or community facilities and also prevents fresh waste accumulation.
The programme seeks to reclaim valuable urban land for community and infrastructure development by September 2026.
During the inaugural session of the National Urban Conclave 2025 held in Delhi, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal launched DRAP.
At present, 1,428 sites are undergoing remediation, and about 80 percent of the legacy waste is concentrated in 214 sites across 202 urban local bodies (ULBs). DRAP will prioritise these high-impact locations, covering approximately 8.8 crore metric tonnes of legacy waste.
So far, 1,048 dumpsites holding nearly 25 core MT of waste have been fully remediated, with several others in various stages of completion. In total, 14.33 crore MT of legacy waste have been processed, and nearly 7,580 acres (50 percent) of land have been reclaimed.
To achieve the goal of Lakshya Zero Dumpsites, the Central Government provides financial assistance to cities considering an estimate of Rs 550 per tonne for legacy waste remediation. So far, MoHUA has extended CFA of Rs 4,181 crore for projects worth Rs 10,228 crore, benefiting 2,484 ULBs across 28 states and union territories (UTs).
The minister also launched the SMB – Knowledge Management Unit (KMU), a dedicated unit at the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). It will serve as a national platform for capacity building, knowledge creation, and institutional learning under the SBM-U framework.
Another major initiative launched during the event is the Urban Invest Window (UiWIN) — an initiative of HUDCO, which will serve as a one-stop investment facilitation platform for Indian cities, designed to attract private investments and enable access to long-tenor, concessional, and competitive financing from multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. The platform will also promote PPP-based urban projects to accelerate sustainable infrastructure growth.
Speaking at the conclave, Manohar Lal said that initiatives such as DRAP, UiWIN, and KMU would play a crucial role in building cleaner, greener, and more liveable cities, aligning with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The first day of the conclave had four breakout sessions in which different senior officials from the ministry addressed the important topics. The first session focused on regional planning, Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and city mobility. The second session highlighted Livelihood Opportunity and Poverty Alleviation. The third session was a technical session on Construction and Demolition waste. The fourth and last session focused on Capacity Building.