Environment

KEY POINTS

Construction & Demolition waste

·         According to Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules 2016, it is the waste comprising of building materials, debris and rubble resulting from construction, re-modeling, repair and demolition of any civil structure.

Concerns with C&D wastes

Environment hazard

·         Fly-tipping – It is dumped illegally on vacant sites, on the sides of highways, below fly-overs, beside lakes and rivers, in other low-lying areas and open storm water drains.

·         Encroachment – C&D waste is increasingly being used to encroach on lake-bed land for construction.

Health hazard

·         Air pollution – Construction debris will result in high presence of Particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10).

·         Water logging – Fly-tipping will result in water logging and further lead to rapid spread of numerous water borne diseases.

·         Recognizing the importance of growing volumes of C&D waste and its related impacts, the C&D Waste Management Rules 2016 was notified by MOEFCC.

Suggestions

·         The government has to appreciate the reuse and recycling of the waste into construction material.

·         For example, recycled aggregate concrete, manufactured sand, etc.

·         It has to build awareness of the value of recycled products and also provide standard codes to ensure adherence to quality of such products.

·         It also has to set an example in its own construction activity by complying with the Rules.

·         At the same time, the incentives also have to be aligned for the private sector.

·         For example, the imposition of a reasonable charge for disposal at dumpsites can induce builders or owners to divert the C&D waste to recycling plants.

·         An important additional step in this direction would be to reduce GST rates on products using recycled materials.

Road to future

·         Effective management of C&D waste helps in curbing excessive consumption of natural resources and contributes to sustainable development.

·         Since almost 60 per cent of the stock of buildings projected to be there in 2030 is yet to be built, sustainable construction and effective management of C&D waste assume even greater significance.

Please review.Thanks

Kindly review