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
ONGC_resized
Denial of Media Report Regarding Mumbai High Tender and ONGC-bp Partnership
Closeup of word on wooden cube on wooden desk background concept - Fraud
Chartered Accountant Arrested in Rs. 7.85 Crore GST Input Tax Credit Fraud in Delhi
Sheela Dahima IAS
Madhya Pradesh: IAS Officer Sheela Dahima Honoured with Chief Minister's Excellence Award for Innovation
Coal India Limited_CIL_logo_resized
Coal India to Supply 4500 MW of Renewable Energy to AM Green’s Future Green Ammonia Plants
ONGC_resized
ONGC Board to Review Q4 FY25 Results and Final Dividend on May 21
IPS A.B
Andhra Pradesh High Court Quashes Corruption Case Against Retired IPS Officer A.B. Venkateswara Rao
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services (IAS)
6 Chhattisgarh-based IAS Officers of 2006 Batch, Including Ankit Anand, Declare Asset Details to Centre, Check Here to Know Their Net Worth
India logo
Government of India Issues Advisory on Fake News and Doctored Videos on Social Media
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IPS Sandeep Tamgadge
IPS Sandeep Tamgadge’s Two Decades of Service in Nagaland
IMG-20250429-WA0019
How Mission IAS is Transforming Dreams of Underprivileged UPSC Aspirants
Aakash Garg
Computer Engineer Aakash Garg Takes AIR-5 in UPSC CSE 2024 Through Sheer Discipline And Hard Work | Exclusive
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
iqbal-ahmad-upsc-2024
From Cycle Repair Shop to UPSC Rank 998: UP's Iqabal Ahmad’s Inspiring Journey Against All Odds
Iqbal Ahmad, son of a handyman from Sant Kabir Nagar, secured 998th rank in UPSC 2024, fulfilling his...
IPS Sandeep Tamgadge
IPS Sandeep Tamgadge’s Two Decades of Service in Nagaland
For over 20 years, IPS officer Sandeep Tamgadge has served Nagaland, navigating its unique cultural landscape...
Shubham Kaurav UPSC
Four Attempts, One Dream: How Shubham Kaurav Cracked UPSC CSE with AIR 291
With determination, self-study, and a strategic mindset, Gwalior’s Shubham Kaurav turned years of hard...
Social Media
Fakenews
Be Aware: Fake Videos and Propaganda Cloud Public Discourse After India’s Cross-Border Strike
In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, numerous false and doctored videos claiming to show the strikes...
Indore Road Safety Campaign by Air Hostesses
The Cleanest of India, Indore, Launches Inclusive Road Safety Campaign Featuring Air Hostesses - Know More!
In a unique civic initiative, Indore Traffic Police deployed air hostesses using sign language at key...
Shakti Dubey AIR 1
UPSC Rank 1 Shakti Dubey's Success Sparks Debate on Civil Services Examination System, Ex-IPS Officer Raises Questions
Shakti Dubey’s UPSC Rank 1 success has sparked debate after ex-IPS officer Yashovardhan Azad questioned...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
ONGC_resized
Denial of Media Report Regarding Mumbai High Tender and ONGC-bp Partnership
Closeup of word on wooden cube on wooden desk background concept - Fraud
Chartered Accountant Arrested in Rs. 7.85 Crore GST Input Tax Credit Fraud in Delhi
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IPS Sandeep Tamgadge
IMG-20250429-WA0019
Aakash Garg
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT