India is on the brink of a waste management revolution. With the onset of the Draft Solid Waste Management Rules, 2024, the country is finally pushing towards the notion of circular economy — where waste is no longer the end of the line, but a starting point for resource recovery, energy generation, and sustainable development. But before we dive into recycling, upcycling or valorising waste, there’s one critical component that demands urgent attention: ‘Landfills’. — Not the open, smouldering dumps that dot our cityscapes today, but engineered, environmentally sound landfills — designed to safely enclose the unavoidable waste that no other process can handle. This is where India must begin by closing the loop.
The Problem Beneath Our Feet
India generates more than 1.5 lakh metric tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) every day. About 50% is processed, 18.4% reaches landfills, and an alarming 31.7% remains unaccounted for (EACPM, 2024). This “missing waste” exposes a massive blind spot in our waste tracking—and the reality is, far more waste is quietly making its way to landfills than reported. Even if we improve our waste processing, it’s important to understand that not all waste can be recycled or processed. Globally, even the most advanced waste management systems end up sending about 10-30% of their waste to landfills. In India, this figure is expected to be significantly higher.
Even if cities push for energy conversion through Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants, these facilities typically reject 20–25% of incoming waste, excluding residual materials like bottom ash, which also ultimately ends up in landfill. All of this, including inert waste, still requires proper disposal — and that means landfills. But not the kind we’ve been used to.
India needs Scientific/Sanitary Landfills (SLFs) that do what open dumps never could: contain, control, and close the loop. In technical terms SLFs are engineered spaces with liners, leachate treatment, gas management, and long-term monitoring tools to prevent contamination, reduce environmental harm, and manage waste responsibly. —
“Scientific landfilling isn’t just necessary — it’s the backbone of a system that works. Without it, everything else is a Band-Aid”.
— While the Draft Solid Waste Management Rules (SWM), 2024, underscores critical provisions for setting up SLFs, including adoption for landfilling fees/charges levied for mixed waste. However, for successful implementation of SLFs it is prudent to acknowledge and address the current challenges in India.
Why Our Landfills Aren’t Working
India’s landfill journey has always been marked with chaos. The traditional landfills, such as Ghazipur, Okhla and Deonar have turned into mammoth dumpsites. Most of them have all exhausted their respective lifespans & posing high environmental and health hazards. Despite multiple pushes to develop SLFs, most efforts have fallen flat. Many facilities became non-functional or degraded into glorified dumpsites. The reasons are familiar: inadequate waste processing, poor source segregation, high collection & transportation costs, and high operation and maintenance cost.
Currently, Narela-Bawana Landfill inaugurated in 2017 is the first and only scientific landfill in India. Spread across 150 acres, it was built at a cost of ₹46 crores and has a capacity to handle 2,000 tonnes of waste per day. Moreover, attempts to implement a cluster-based approach to SLFs across some states have miserably failed due to insufficient planning and resource allocation. For instance, cluster SLFs were initiated by GUDC (Gujarat Urban Development Company) across 8 cities in 2018 which soon turned out to be non-operational. While challenges remain common, reviving these infrastructure necessitates a thorough assessment of the existing conditions. Given the significant monetary and operational liabilities involved, one thing is clear, without a robust governing and strategic approach, landfills will continue to be the leak in India’s waste management chain.
Rethinking Landfills: Roadmaps for SLFs
A viable roadmap for SLF development must consider the diverse needs of Indian cities. While a detailed assessment across cities is essential, studies indicate:
- Large Cities: Cities with populations exceeding one million should construct their own landfills and permit neighboring towns within a 50-kilometer radius to use these facilities. These landfills should be designed for a minimum operational lifespan of 20 years and should handle at least 50 tons per day of inert and residual waste to ensure economic viability and effective management. (CPHEEO, 2014)
- Small Cities: For smaller cities with populations under one million, a cluster-based approach should be adopted. Regional landfills could serve multiple ULBs within a 50-kilometer radius, fostering cost-sharing and operational efficiency.
- Others: Out of 4,852 ULBs across India a portion of cities may not fit on both of these above criteria; for such cases a small-scale controlled landfill could be developed. Controlled landfills, though similar in principle to sanitary landfills, are scaled to suit the needs of smaller towns and rural areas. Currently, India lacks guidelines for designing and implementing such controlled landfills, making it imperative to develop context-specific frameworks. (EACPM, 2024)
Scientific landfilling can’t function in isolation. It needs supporting infrastructure such as material recovery facilities (MRFs), composting facilities and transfer stations. Promoting source segregation and optimising waste collection routes are equally critical. Clear role definitions for ULBs must ensure that only inert waste is directed to SLFs, supported by strict mandates for their operation and maintenance. Without these systems in place, even the most advanced SLFs will struggle to deliver.
The Cost Factor: Financial and Operational Considerations
Let’s be realistic—Scientific Landfills (SLFs) demand substantial investment, and most Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) are already operating under severe financial constraints. In addition, many ULBs lack the technical capacity required to plan, construct, and manage SLFs effectively. This is where a robust policy framework must step in to provide targeted, hands-on support. To bridge these gaps and strengthen landfill infrastructure, the following actions are critical:
- Revival over new construction. Assess and rehabilitate existing SLFs wherever feasible, rather than building entirely new facilities.
- Ensure quality through empanelment. Create a notified list of certified, experienced agencies to guarantee technical expertise and quality in SLF construction and operation.
- Promote private sector participation. Encourage investment and innovation through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Joint Ventures (JVs), making space for scalable and efficient solutions.
- Link incentives to performance. Offer financial rewards to ULBs that operate SLFs in compliance with environmental and operational standards, driving better outcomes through accountability.
This approaches shall not only reduce the financial and technical burden on ULBs but also fosters a competitive, performance-driven system that can transform the way landfills are managed across the country.
Closing Thoughts: Landfills as foundation
India’s waste management framework urgently needs context-specific guidelines for developing SLFs at various scales. Although international studies offer valuable insights, they often fail to address the unique challenges faced by India, including high organic waste content, segregation, and resource constraints. These guidelines should also consider controlled landfills for smaller towns and regional clusters — something our current policy framework overlooks entirely. India needs a tailored landfill guideline that accounts for its diversity — urban to rural, humid to arid —and that clearly defines design norms, environmental protocols, cost parameters, and post-closure care.
For years, landfills have been treated as the dark corners of waste management in India — out of sight, out of mind. But if India is serious about building a circular economy, scientific landfills must be prioritized. — “SLFs are not the end of the line. They are the foundation upon which better systems can be built.”
The Draft SWM Rules, 2024, marks a crucial step towards evolving SLFs in India, but actual progress shall depend on its implementation and not just intent. With right planning, smart partnerships, and strong governance, India can reclaim its waste narrative — and transform landfills from liabilities into assets. — “As I said the future is circular. But to get there, we must first close the loop”!
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Sandeep Khasnavis
Consultant
UMC Asia (Urban Management Centre)
An Urban and Regional Planner, with foundation in Architecture with specialisation in Sustainability and expertise in Data Analytics.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandeep-khasnavis-426b10112
