Once a toxic legacy dumpsite, the Kuberpur landfill in Agra has now emerged as India’s first Integrated Waste Management City under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U). What was once a hazardous expanse is now a national model of sustainability, powered by bioremediation, biomining, and zero-waste innovation.
A Journey from Decay to Development
The Kuberpur site had served as a landfill since 2007, accommodating thousands of tons of municipal solid waste. But in 2019, guided by Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi and CM Shri Yogi Adityanath, the Agra Municipal Corporation initiated a bioremediation and biomining campaign with technical collaboration from SPAAK Super Infra Pvt. Ltd.
In just five years, this initiative removed nearly 1.9 million metric tons of waste, reclaiming 47 acres of valuable urban land—of which:
- 10 acres have been turned into an urban forest using the Miyawaki method
- 5 acres are now a modern sanitary landfill for inert waste
- The remaining land has been landscaped into an eco-friendly zone
Infrastructure That Powers Sustainability
The transformation included the installation of:
- A 500 TPD waste-to-compost plant
- Four Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) with a total capacity of 405 TPD
- 65 TPD Plastic Waste Processing Plant converting plastic into water pipes for farmers
- 100% door-to-door waste segregation and collection across the city
Cost and Impact
The entire project was completed at an estimated cost of ₹320 crore. Today, Kuberpur is no longer a dumping ground but a beacon of modern waste governance, environmental conservation, and civic engagement.
More Than Just a Waste Project
Beyond solid waste solutions, the Kuberpur site has been developed into a learning and awareness hub—hosting students, researchers, and environmental professionals from IITs, colleges, and institutions nationwide.
This holistic approach to urban transformation has made Agra a shining example of what SBM-U 2.0 envisions: a clean, green, inclusive, and sustainable India.
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