In June 2022, when Indrajeet Singh, a 2016-batch IAS officer, took cost as Lucknow’s Municipal Commissioner, the “Metropolis of Nawabs” was removed from dwelling as much as its royal heritage in a single essential side: cleanliness.

For over a decade, Lucknow had lived with unprocessed legacy waste. Mountains of rotting rubbish, blended with plastic and biomedical residue, towered at two huge dumping grounds in Ghaila and Shivari. In the course of the monsoons, the state of affairs worsened. Leachate oozed out of the heaps, contaminating groundwater.

Singh recollects a sobering statistic: “The BOD-COD [Biochemical Oxygen Demand–Chemical Oxygen Demand] stage of untreated leachate touched 3,000. For context, in a sewer it’s 350. Think about the cancerous influence if this entered the water desk.”

However the actual situation wasn’t simply the waste.

“It was the mindset,” Singh explains. “Waste was collected and dumped—finish of duty. Neither corporators, contractors, nor employees noticed processing as their job. I realised that except this angle modified, no quantity of infrastructure or funds would assist.”

By April 2025, the story had flipped. Lucknow had leapt from forty fourth to third place within the Swachh Survekshan rankings, scripting one among India’s most exceptional city transformation tales. Behind this turnaround was Singh’s mix of technical know-how, people-centric management, and an unshakeable perception in what he calls “sewa (selfless service) by governance.”

Breaking obstacles: The primary steps

Singh’s preliminary transfer was to provoke open discussions with stakeholders. Relatively than limiting the dialog to inside conferences, he addressed corporators, municipal staff, and residents in public boards.

Utilizing displays with slides, pictures, and knowledge, he defined the dangers posed by untreated waste and outlined how systematic processing might reshape Lucknow’s waste administration framework. His strategy was clear: consciousness earlier than enforcement.

Corporators turned stakeholders fairly than passive representatives. About 110 contractors have been introduced on board to make sure accountability. Employees, typically uncared for, have been positioned on the centre of reform.

“We had 12,000 sanitation employees. Many had wage irregularities; some didn’t receives a commission on time. So, how might they really feel motivated to work? We fastened salaries, ensured funds earlier than the fifth of each month, and even cleared dues. That alone modified attitudes,” says Singh.

To encourage innovation, he additionally despatched small groups of employees and workers to Pune, Indore, and Bengaluru—cities that had already cracked cleanliness codes. “The journeys weren’t simply coaching, they have been inspiration,” he shares.

The turning level: Shivari rubbish unit

Each transformation has a flagship venture, and for Lucknow, it was the Shivari plant. Initially, the staff didn’t even know the place to start. They floated tenders, held conferences, and learnt from different cities. Ultimately, Shivari turned the nerve centre of Lucknow’s waste revolution.

Right here’s what it achieved:

• Processing legacy waste: Tens of millions of tonnes of previous waste have been scientifically handled.
  

• Recent waste administration: A 2,100-tonne-per-day plant now processes 100% of town’s every day rubbish.
  

• By-products: Compost, RDF (Refuse-Derived Gasoline), and recyclables are despatched to cement crops and industries underneath EPR (Prolonged Producer Accountability) tips.
  

• Leachate remedy: A devoted plant ensures pollution don’t poison the soil.
  

• Vitality integration: A 2 MW photo voltaic unit reduces electrical energy prices by Rs 20 lakh monthly.
  

The outcome? Lucknow turned Uttar Pradesh’s first net-zero waste dump metropolis.

Residents on the coronary heart of change

Whereas the backend transformation was technical, Singh knew actual change required profitable residents’ hearts and habits.

• Door-to-door assortment: Over 1,250 electrical automobiles have been deployed, overlaying almost 7.5 lakh households.
  

• IEC campaigns: Faculties, faculties, bus stops, and radio stations turned platforms to speak about segregation, composting, and cleanliness.
  

• Consciousness drives: From tree plantations to composting workshops, behaviour change was emphasised as a lot as infrastructure.
  

Lucknow’s residents, as soon as detached, started to take pleasure. “Rubbish weak factors” have been reworked into selfie spots, skating rinks, and parks. Iconic areas corresponding to Uttar Pradesh Darshan Park showcased replicas of monuments constructed totally from waste.

Waste to Wealth: Innovation in motion

Singh’s tenure was marked by turning issues into alternatives:

• Bio-CNG and Bio-CBG crops: Two services underneath building promise cleaner waste processing and annual revenues of Rs 85 lakh.
  

• C&D waste recycling: A 300-tonne-per-day plant at Harikansh Garhi now turns particles into paver blocks.
  

• Plastic waste roads: Practically 10 tonnes of plastic waste have been used to construct metropolis roads.
  

• CSR partnerships: Organisations together with HAL and Adani Airports contributed by funding bins and consciousness campaigns.

Dignity for sanitation employees

Maybe probably the most neglected reform was formalising the casual sector. Singh labored to supply EPF deductions, social safety, and coaching for employees.

“If we deal with them as invisible, town will stay soiled. But when we dignify their work, they’ll carry out wonders. Formalising them is the longer term,” he says.

For Neeraj, a sanitation employee from Rajajipuram who has devoted 15 years to maintaining town clear, Singh’s management was transformative.

“Our salaries was delayed for 2 to 3 months. We survived by borrowing for rations. However when (Indrajeet) sir took cost, he cleared all pending dues himself. Now, I obtain my month-to-month wage of round Rs 8,000 on time, together with medical help,” Neeraj shares.

Past monetary stability, employees got gloves, masks, and gear for the primary time. Singh personally visited them, listening to their considerations—one thing unprecedented.

A cleaner, greener, more healthy Lucknow

By April 2025, the outcomes have been seen:

• Swachh Survekshan: Rank jumped from forty fourth to third in simply three years.
  

• Air high quality: PM10 ranges lowered by 41% in contrast with 2017–18.
  

• Public well being: With leachate handled and rubbish disposed of scientifically, illness dangers fell drastically.
  

• Citizen pleasure: Clear streets, beautified parks, and consciousness campaigns instilled possession amongst Lucknowites.
  

At the same time as Singh moved on to guide the Uttar Pradesh New & Renewable Vitality Growth Company (UPNEDA), his reflections on Lucknow stay deeply private.

“For me, this wasn’t only a venture. It was fulfilling as a result of it allowed me to serve communities instantly. Gurbani teaches us the worth of sewa, and this was my sewa by governance.”

He envisions seventh-generation waste-to-energy crops and continued citizen participation as the way forward for India’s city sanitation. His perception is straightforward:

“If cities simply implement Swachh Bharat tips sincerely, clear and sustainable dwelling shouldn’t be a dream — it’s a assure.”

(All photographs courtesy: Jitendra Verma, Lucknow.)