India implements new guidelines to tackle construction waste management

By Staff Report August 8, 2024 7:07 pm IST

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has issued guidelines for managing construction and demolition waste, solid waste, and controlling air pollution, with State Pollution Control Boards and Committees monitoring and implementing reduction measures.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) notified the Construction & Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016 and Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 for environmentally sound management of construction and demolition waste and solid waste, as well as control of air pollution generated from these wastes.

The State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees have been issued guidelines to monitor and implement air pollution reduction measures in construction activities. These guidelines focus on environmental management of construction and demolition waste and dust mitigation measures in handling construction material and C&D waste.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued directions to all the SPCBs and PCCs for the deployment of anti-smog guns and the implementation of adequate dust mitigation measures at construction projects and sites with an area of more than 20,000 square meters. The CPCB has also issued guidelines and mechanisms for anti-smog guns in construction and demolition projects. In addition, an online monitoring mechanism (through a web portal) has been introduced for monitoring compliance with dust mitigation measures at construction sites.

Under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched by MoEF&CC in January 2019, in 131 non-attainment and million+ cities in 24 states and UTs, cities are provided with funds to address the critical gap for the implementation of city action plans for taking measures to improve air quality. All 131 cities and urban local bodies (ULBs), including the Mumbai Urban Agglomeration (UA), have prepared city action plans, inter alia, including measures to mitigate air pollution arising from construction and demolition activities.

Under NCAP, Rs. 19,614.44 crore has been earmarked for 131 cities during the period FY 2019–20 till FY 2025–26, out of which 49 million plus cities and urban aggregations are funded under the 15th Finance Commission air quality grant, and the remaining 82 cities are funded by MoEF&CC under the Control of Pollution Scheme. Rs. 11,211.13 crore has been released to 131 cities to implement city action plans in their respective cities. Rs. 938.59 crore has been provided to Mumbai UA under NCAP for the city action plan.

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has issued “Guidelines for Air Pollution Mitigation” dated October 27, 2023, to the implementing authorities for taking the necessary action to address air pollution arising from construction and demolition activities, vehicles, re-suspension of road dust, etc. Further, MPCB has also issued directions under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act to all the agencies and authorities involved in construction and demolition activities to implement the guidelines.

Furthermore, Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) 2.0, launched on October 1, 2022, includes a solid waste management (SWM) component to achieve 100 percent safe scientific processing of municipal solid waste in all cities. This includes the processing of construction and demolition (C&D) waste. This ministry has also introduced a ready reckoner for recycled produce from construction and demolition waste.