In a first, the central government came out with rules today (on March 29, 2016) to manage construction and demolition waste, by prohibiting its dumping on roadsides and drains. The move is aimed at reducing dust, which contributes around 20% to pollution in big cities, including Delhi.
The Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016, brought out by the Environment Ministry, also makes it mandatory for local authorities to commission construction and demolition (C&D) waste plants in cities, where the population exceeds one million within 18 months, cities with population of 5-10 lakhs within two years, and cities having less than 5 lakh people within three years.
The rules also make it mandatory for large builders or waste generators, to submit a waste management plan along with their building plan. “For every large generator, the permission for his building plan will only be given when he presents the C&D disposal plan. So C&D waste management also becomes part of building permission,” elaborated environment minister Prakash Javadekar.
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Terming the rules as a ‘weapon’ to tackle the issue of pollution, Javadekar added that the waste can actually be used as resource. “For the first time in the country, the government has come out with construction and demolition waste management rules. It is an initiative to tackle effectively the issue of pollution. Today, as per Department of Science and Technology estimates, annual generation of such waste is 530 million tonnes. Without any rules, it is dumped in open spaces, drains, rivers, forest areas, landfills and roadside. It is unscientific dumping. These are not actually waste but resources. The basis of our new rules is recover, recycle and reuse. We can make tiles, pipes from it. We came out with draft rules three months ago and received 111 suggestions,” explained Javadekar, adding that the rules will be uploaded on the ministry’s website tonight.
Moreover, if the collection of waste and taking it to the recycling units is done by the municipal authorities, the builders will be charged by the authorities, he pointed out.
Under the new rules, state governments or construction agencies will have to mandatorily procure and utilise 10%-20% materials made by construction and demolition waste in municipal and government contracts, mainly in non-load bearing applications like kerb stones, drain covers and paving blocks in pedestrian areas.
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