Government frame rules to manage construction, demolition waste

The Centre came out with rules to manage construction and demolition waste by prohibiting its dumping on roadsides and drains, a move aimed at reducing dust which contributes around 20 per cent 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 C&D waste plants in million-plus population cities 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 waste management plan along with their building plan, non-deposition of which may lead to non-grant of permission to the building. Terming the rules as a "weapon" to tackle the issue of pollution, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the waste can actually be used as resource and the basis of the new rules is "recover, recycle and reuse". "For the first time in the country, the government has come out with construction and demolition waste management rules. Its an initiative to tackle effectively the issue of pollution. Today as per Department of Science and Technology estimate, 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. This creates value to waste. So we came out with draft rules three months ago. 111 suggestions were recieved. We are now publishing the rules," Javadekar said to PTI. Elaborating on some of the features, he said, "For every large generator, the permission for his building plan will only be given when he presents C&D disposal plan. So C&D waste management also becomes part of building permission. "If the generator is generating more waste and collection is done by municipal authorities, the collection and taking it to the recyle unit, the builders will be charged by the authorities," he said. Under the new rules, state governments or construction agencies will have to mandatorily procure and utilise 10-20 per cent materials made by construction and demolition waste in municipal and government contracts mainly in non-load bearing applications like kerb stones, drain covers, paving blocks in pedestrian areas.