The Delhi government’s decision of recycling construction and demolition (C&D) waste, a major pollutant in the city, in all future contracts has been welcomed by the Centre for Science and Environment.
Anumita Roychowdhury, head of CSE’s Sustainable Urbanisation team said, “This is an important move forward as construction and demolition of buildings cause enormous waste - about half of all materials used - that degrades the land and environment.”
Delhi is estimated to generate about 4,000-4,600 tonnes per day (TPD) of C&D waste. It is either dumped in city landfills or in open spaces, water bodies and flood plains.
While welcoming the decision, CSE said the next step in this direction should be an improved policy on collection, segregation and handling of waste; decentralised collection and recycling centres; penalty for littering; lower taxes on recycled products and public awareness.
It called for the Centre to include provisions on dealing with C&D waste management in the draft Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules 2015 besides notifying BIS draft standards for recycled material and products.
Seconding what the NGT has been advocating for sometime now for management of C&D Waste and against its dumping on river banks, the CSE suggested making developers responsible and accountable for good construction practices, on-site segregation of waste, reuse and disposal.
Imposition of waste tax to minimise waste generation can also be a necessary step.
The Delhi government has issued an advisory on the use of products made out of recycled waste by the Public Works Department (PWD). All Delhi government agencies will be required to incorporate a clause in their tenders that mandates use of a minimum of 2 per cent recycled products from construction waste in all future contracts for building works and 10 per cent recycled products for road works. It expects the urban local bodies to mandate 5 per cent use of such products for non-structural applications, while examining and approving building plans.
