https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

How Tinsukia Wiped Out 50 Years of Waste in Just One Year

Tinsukia became Northeast’s first district to eliminate 1.53 lakh MT of legacy waste in just one year, reclaiming 50 acres of land for development.
Indian Masterminds Stories

For decades, towering heaps of garbage had become an unavoidable part of life in Tinsukia, Assam. Mountains of waste—some as old as 50 years—loomed near highways, attracting flies, spreading stench, and degrading the quality of life for thousands of residents. In Doomdooma town, families had no choice but to eat under mosquito nets, shielding their food from swarms of insects.

But what seemed like an impossible problem found its solution in an ambitious mission led by Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner Swapneel Paul, an IAS officer of the 2018 batch and Assam cadre. In just a year, his administration cleared 1.53 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste from the district’s urban areas, making Tinsukia the first district in Northeast India to be declared legacy waste-free.

The project not only reclaimed over 50 acres of land but also transformed Doomdooma’s notorious dumping ground into a public park in the making. “Where once people protested against the stink and pollution, they will soon stroll through the greenery,” Mr. Paul said to Indian Masterminds while reflecting on the dramatic change.

Swapneel Paul, IAS

A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH 

Tinsukia’s war against waste was not just about bulldozers and trucks hauling garbage. The administration adopted bio-mining and bio-remediation—a process that uses scientific methods to segregate, treat, and dispose of waste in an eco-friendly way.

However, implementing this method in the Northeast was no easy task. “Bio-mining was being done for the first time in this region. The biggest challenge was technical know-how,” the officer explained. To tackle this, the administration roped in IIT Guwahati to conduct a feasibility study and guide the process.

The steps were meticulous:

  • Survey & Planning: Experts assessed the composition of waste and mapped out the best disposal strategy.
  • Segregation & Processing: Waste was separated into biodegradable, non-recyclable, and inert materials.
  • Sustainable Disposal:
    • Non-recyclable waste was sent to cement factories to be converted into Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF).
    • Biodegradable waste was turned into compost.
    • Inert waste was safely used in landfills.

The result? Sites that had been uninhabitable for decades were cleared, sanitized, and made ready for development.

RECLAIMING LAND, RESTORING LIVES 

One of the most striking success stories emerged from Doomdooma, where a seven-bigha landfill that had once been an eyesore is now being converted into a green park. A choked waterbody on the site is being revived, and plans are in place to set up a vending zone in the area.

Last year, a local resident tested the soil by growing maize on three bighas of newly cleared land. When the crops flourished, it became clear that the ground could support more than just waste. Where Tingrai, the largest dumping site of Tinsukia town was also reclaimed. 

Earlier, plastic, cloth, and food waste from restaurants—everything was dumped there. Today, that same land is being prepared for future urban projects and industrial use.

“The needs of the people motivated me to do this,” Paul said. “Wherever waste had been dumped for decades, the living conditions were deplorable. It gave a very negative image of the town. Now, we have 50 acres of reclaimed land that can be used for development. That is a win for the people of Tinsukia.”

RECOGNITION FOR A REVOLUTIONARY EFFORT 

For his leadership in transforming Tinsukia’s urban landscape, Swapneel Paul was honored with the prestigious Indian Express Excellence in Governance Award 2025. The recognition not only celebrated the successful execution of the project but also shed light on how scientific waste management can change lives.

Urban sustainability remains a growing challenge in India, but Tinsukia’s success story offers a blueprint for other districts struggling with legacy waste. What was once considered an insurmountable problem was tackled with vision, technology, and an unwavering commitment to public welfare.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Nitish Kumar
Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar Vows to Create 1 Crore Jobs for Bihar Youth in Next 5 Years, Highlights Major Development Milestones
Vishnu Deo Sai CM
Chhattisgarh Government Approves Rs 1,390 Crore for Four New Medical Colleges and Healthcare Projects
Pushkar Singh Dhami CM
Uttarakhand Government Launches Free Pre-Recruitment Training for Agniveer Aspirants Across All Districts
Airports Authority of India AAI
PESB Finds Candidates Unsatisfactory for AAI Member (Operations) Post, Calls for New Selection Process
justice-photo
Next CJI of India: Find Out Who’s Set to Become the New Chief Justice – Full Story Inside
IPS Ratan Lal Dangi
Who Is IPS Ratan Lal Dangi? Chhattisgarh Police Officer Accused of Harassment by SI’s Wife; IG Anand Chhabra Assigned Probe - Full Story
Yogi Adityanath Ayodhya visit in Diwali
UP: CM Yogi Adityanath Orders Fire Stations Every 100 Km on Expressways, Approves 1,020 New Posts in Fire Services
SDM Chhotu Lal Sharma
Who Is SDM Chhotu Lal Sharma? The 2015-Batch RAS Officer Caught in Yet Another Scandal After Slapping Petrol Pump Employee
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
UPSC Journey Should Be Enjoyable, Not Cumbersome
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
The Many Facets of Former IRS Officer and Author, Giselle Mehta | Video Interview
IDES Saquib Alam
Beyond IAS and IPS: The Inspiring Work of an IDES officer | Video Interview 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Rupal Rana UPSC
How Rupal Rana Cracked UPSC CSE 2023 with AIR 26 After Four Attempts
UPSC Topper Rupal Rana secured AIR 26 in 2023 after four attempts. Learn her preparation strategy, booklist,...
Ankita Parashar RAS 2023
4 Attempts, 1 Dream, 0 Excuses: Meet RAS Topper Ankita Parashar, Who Fulfilled a Daughter’s Promise & Secured Rank 2 | Exclusive Interview
Ankita Parashar, a teacher-turned-officer from Pushkar, fulfilled her late father’s dream by securing...
Kushal Chaudhary RAS
From Lab Assistant’s Grit to Rajasthan Topper: How Kushal Chaudhary Topped RAS 2023 with Self-Study | Preparation, Strategy & Interview
Kushal Chaudhary, a farmer’s son and lab assistant from Ajmer, topped RAS 2023 through self-study, overcoming...
Social Media
IFS Parveen Kaswan
Heartbreak by the River: 15-Day-Old Elephant Calf Rejected by Mother, Rescued by IFS Parveen Kaswan and His Team
Jaldapra, West Bengal: In a moving incident that tugs at the heart, a 15-day-old elephant calf was rescued...
Ashwini Bhide IAS and Anand Mahindra
Who Is IAS Ashwini Bhide, Hailed as a Role Model for Mumbai Metro Transformation by Anand Mahindra?
From heritage to high-tech: Bhide’s leadership in Metro Line 3 earns public praise and admiration
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
01_10_2025-sanjay_gupta_24067000
Sanjay Gupta: The Steady Hand Guiding Himachal’s Next Chapter
Nitish Kumar
Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar Vows to Create 1 Crore Jobs for Bihar Youth in Next 5 Years, Highlights Major Development Milestones
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
IDES Saquib Alam
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT