Agra, Uttar Pradesh: In an inspiring testament to sustainable urban development, Agra Municipal Corporation has scripted a remarkable success story, converting the sprawling Kuberpur landfill into the “Integrated Waste Management City of Agra.” The initiative, executed under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U), represents a model of modern waste management, environmental rejuvenation, and community engagement.
From Dumpsite to Development
For decades, Kuberpur functioned as Agra’s primary landfill. Starting in 2007, thousands of tonnes of solid waste were dumped daily on this site, eventually turning it into a significant environmental hazard and a public health concern. However, a major shift began in 2019, driven by the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and under the leadership of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath.
Determined to reclaim this blighted land, Agra Municipal Corporation, in collaboration with SPAAK Super Infra Pvt. Ltd., launched extensive bioremediation and biomining operations. Through this scientific intervention, approximately 1.9 million metric tonnes of legacy waste were safely removed from the landfill by December 2024. This monumental effort reclaimed 47 acres of land at an investment of around ₹320 crores.
Innovative Facilities for a Sustainable Future
Yet, merely removing old waste was not enough. The city simultaneously advanced a modern infrastructure for managing fresh waste sustainably:
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A Waste-to-Compost Plant was set up in 2019, initially with a capacity of 300 tonnes per day (TPD), later expanded to 500 TPD.
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Four Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) with a combined capacity of 405 TPD were established across Agra for efficient segregation and recycling.
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100% door-to-door collection of segregated waste became mandatory, ensuring source-level separation.
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In January 2025, Agra inaugurated a 65 TPD MRF-cum-Plastic Waste Processing Plant. Here, plastic waste is converted into durable water pipes, which are made available at subsidized rates for farmers—an initiative bridging waste management and rural welfare.
Greening Urban Spaces
Of the reclaimed 47 acres:
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10 acres have been developed using the Miyawaki afforestation technique, creating dense green cover to improve local ecology.
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5 acres have been converted into a modern sanitary landfill for the safe disposal of inert waste.
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Plans are underway to develop another 10-acre urban forest, further transforming the former wasteland into a green lung for the city.
A National Model
Today, the site stands as a shining example of innovation and vision, rechristened the “Integrated Waste Management City of Agra.” Beyond its operational role, the facility serves as an educational hub, attracting students and researchers from schools, colleges, IITs, and research institutes. It demonstrates practical models of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3R principles), showing how sustainable solutions can be effectively implemented.
“This is not just an engineering or technological achievement,” said an official from the Agra Municipal Corporation. “It is about environmental conservation, urban renewal, and a sustainable future for generations to come.”
Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 in Action
Agra’s transformation aligns seamlessly with the goals of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, which emphasizes sustainable waste management, urban beautification, and citizen participation. The success of Kuberpur’s reclamation is likely to serve as a model for other cities grappling with the challenges of legacy waste and urban landfill management.
As Agra emerges not only as a city of historical monuments but also as a beacon of urban sustainability, the story of Kuberpur underscores India’s capacity to turn environmental crises into opportunities for innovation and growth.
