Chandigarh: Despite ongoing efforts to clear years of accumulated garbage, 46.5% of Punjab’s legacy waste remains untreated, underlining the scale of the challenge facing the state’s cities. The state trails neighbours Haryana, where 30.3% waste remains untreated, and Himachal Pradesh, where 23.9% is yet to be processed.A reply tabled in the Rajya Sabha shows Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh continue to grapple with large volumes of legacy waste even as remediation progresses. Nationwide, 2,474 dumpsites containing nearly 25.1 crore MT of waste have been identified. Of these, 1,159 have been fully cleared and work is underway at 985 sites. So far, 16.3 crore MT, or 65%, has been remediated.Punjab accounts for 71.4 lakh MT of legacy waste, of which 38.2 lakh MT has been treated. Haryana has cleared 75.0 lakh MT out of 107.6 lakh MT, while Himachal Pradesh has processed 4.1 lakh MT out of 5.4 lakh MT.The government said legacy waste is processed through mechanical separation into fractions such as combustible material, refuse-derived fuel, bio-earth and construction waste. Combustible material is sent to cement kilns or thermal plants, while the rest is disposed of as per Central Pollution Control Board norms.To accelerate the process, the Centre has launched the Dumpsite Remediation Acceleration Programme (DRAP), targeting 214 dumpsites across 200 urban local bodies for clearance by September 2026. Since November 2025, 528.2 lakh MT has been processed under the programme.In Punjab, five dumpsites have been taken up under DRAP, with 44.8 lakh MT identified. Of this, 13.1 lakh MT has been cleared since November 2025, while 31.8 lakh MT remains pending. Haryana has nine such sites, while Himachal Pradesh has one.The ministry said urban local bodies will follow the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, from April 1.
