Lucknow has become the first city in Uttar Pradesh to achieve 100% processing of its daily municipal solid waste, with zero fresh waste now being sent to landfill.
This milestone was reached following the inauguration of the city’s third waste processing facility at Shivri West. The new plant, with a capacity of 700MTs per day (TPD), brings the total processing capacity of Lucknow to over 2,100TPD — effectively matching the city’s current daily waste generation of around 2,000TPD.
The new initiative also paves the way for the city’s commitment to responsible and circular waste management.
The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC), which received departmental support of approximately ₹100 crore, was authorised to collaborate with private players through a tender-based model. This public-private partnership model has also enabled significant progress in the city’s legacy waste remediation programme.
Nearly two-thirds of the city’s 19 lakh MTs of legacy waste have been remediated. Around 13 lakh MTs have been cleared, freeing up 25 acres of land. An additional 15 acres is expected to be cleared within the next six months.
The city’s integrated waste processing approach focuses on municipal waste being converted into Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) for the cement and fertiliser sectors, recycled construction and demolition (C&D) material for infrastructure use, and compost for agriculture.
Innovative waste-to-art projects such as the UP Darshan Park, where monuments like the Taj Mahal and Red Fort have been recreated use recycled materials. A similar initiative has also been implemented at Kalawati Park in Prayagraj. The model has attracted international and national attention, with delegations from Brazil and Andhra Pradesh recently visiting the sites to study the city’s waste management framework.