Depalpur, taken under the wing of Indore, has completed a structured city pairing initiative under the Swachh Shehar Jodi launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The ministry scaled capacity building and peer learning through a hundred day mentor framework under Swachh Bharat Mission?Urban 2.0, with 72 mentor cities and 200 mentee cities undertaking more than 1,600 activities. The intervention follows an Each One Teach One model and relies on memoranda of understanding between paired cities to transfer best practice in solid waste management and urban waste management.

Indore Municipal Corporation and Depalpur Nagar Parishad implemented a four?bin door?to?door collection and achieved full household coverage, after which efforts focused on legacy waste remediation. Under civic leadership the city remediated 1,250 metric tonne (t) of accumulated waste that had built up over five years using coordinated planning, heavy machinery and workforce mobilisation. Over 500 ragpickers from Indore were mobilised to work alongside dumpers, JCBs and loaders provided by the parishad.

The remediation process segregated material at source and on site to ensure channelisation to authorised end users and processing streams. Four point five t of recyclables including plastic, metal and glass were recovered and sold to authorised recyclers, while 50–60 t of refuse derived fuel were sent to the NEPRA plant in Indore, shredded and consigned to cement factories for co?processing. The operation emphasised discipline, scientific processing and traceability across collection, sorting and disposal chains.

Following remediation the former dumpsite received a plantation drive with 200 saplings and was reimagined as public green space and a venue for community activities. The transformation included revival of the historic Surajkund Bawdi, vibrant street art and plastic?free zones, creating a platform for Basti Bemisal and other grassroots upgrades. Depalpur is now recorded as the first city under the Swachh Shehar Jodi initiative to achieve Zero Legacy Waste, reflecting leadership, planning and community participation.