Thursday, November 8, 2018

SEP 18 ENV 2 Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste

Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste
Why in News?

The Supreme Court has created a flutter by staying construction activity in States that do not have a solid waste management policy.

About Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste

It is generated during the construction, renovation, and demolition of buildings or structures. These wastes include materials such as concrete, bricks, wood and lumber, roofing, drywall, landscape and other wastes.



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There   is   a   huge   demand   of aggregates in the housing and road sectors but there is significant gap in demand and supply, which can be reduced by recycling construction and demolition waste to certain specifications.
While  some  of  the  items  like bricks, tiles, wood, metal etc. are re-used and recycled, concrete and masonry, constituting about
50%  of  the  C&D  waste  is  not
currently recycled in India


Data and Facts
Construction accounts for nearly 65 per cent of the total investment in infrastructure hence it is more important to know how to effectively manage construction and demolition (C&D) waste.
25-30 million tonnes of C&D waste is generated annually in India of which only 5 per cent is processed.
According to studies, 36 per cent of C&D waste comprises soil, sand and gravel. With rampant sand mining having destroyed river beds, worsening the impact of floods, there is a crying need to recycle C&D waste.
The Central Pollution Control Board’s Waste Management Rules of 2016 and the Guidelines in 2017 spelt out clear timelines on formulating policies, identifying sites for processing and commissioning these, but there has been no action on the ground.

Issues and Challenges

•   The private contractors remove this waste
to  privately  owned  low-lying  land  for  a
price or more commonly,  dump it in an
unauthorized manner along roads or other public land.

Benefits  of  reducing  the  Disposal  of  C&D Materials

Environmental-  It  reduces  demand  for energy   and   water   in   manufacture   of building materials from mined / naturals resources  (thereby  reducing  GHGs  and environmental  impacts arising  from mining, manufacturing and transportation).
o Along   with   need   for   fewer   disposal facilities it reduced the need for space for disposing it off.
Economical- It can also create employment and economic activities in recycling industries. o It    reduces    overall    building    project expenses              through              avoided purchase/disposal   costs   and   reducing
transportation costs by onsite reuse.
o Recycling will reduce housing costs, given the materials shortage, and should be an integral aspect of ‘affordable housing’.

Construction & Demolition Waste Management
Rules, 2016

Among various things, following are some of the most important provisions under the guidelines-

•    It impacts soil fertility and is a health hazard in urban areas.
•    The  virtual  absence  of  recycling  also  goes  against  India’s
commitments with respect to carbon emission reduction.
There is neither strong social awareness nor enough political will to promote recycling.
Waste   collection   and   segregation   mechanism   is   largely unorganised leading to scrap contamination.
Most municipal infrastructure is outdated and inadequate in terms of collection, transportation and scrap yards.
Appropriate technologies to maximise recovery from recycling are still nascent.

Initiatives to promote recycling of C & D waste in India
The Swachh Bharat Mission envisages processing of 100% solid waste generated in cities / towns by October 2019 as a key objective, which includes Construction & Demolition wastes.
Ministry of Urban Development directed States to set-up environment friendly C & D recycling facilities in all cities with a population of over 10 lakhs.
The   Bureau   of   Indian   Standards   and   Indian   Roads Congress shall be responsible for preparation of code of practices and standards for use of recycled materials and products of construction and demolition waste in respect of construction activities.
Building Material & Technology Promoting Council in 2016 released “Guidelines for utilization of C & D waste in construction of dwelling units and related infrastructure in housing schemes of the Government”.
Central Pubic Works Division’s “Guidelines for Sustainable Habitat” discusses ‘Guidelines on reuse and recycling of Construction and Demolition (C & D) waste.


At Individual level: Every waste generator shall segregate construction and demolition waste and deposit at collection centre or handover it to the authorised processing facilities
o Large generators shall segregate the waste into four streams such as concrete, soil, steel, wood and plastics, bricks and mortar. They shall ensure that there is no littering or deposition so as to prevent obstruction to the traffic or the public or drains.
At Local level: The service providers shall prepare a comprehensive  waste management plan for waste generated within their jurisdiction.



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o Service    providers    shall    remove    all construction and demolition waste in consultation with the concerned local authority on their own or through any agency.
At State level: The concerned department in the State Government dealing with land shall provide suitable  sites for setting up of the storage, processing and recycling facilities for C&D waste.
o Procure   and   utilize   10-20%   materials made from C&D waste in municipal and Government contracts.
o Operator  of  the  recycling  facility  shall obtain authorization from State Pollution
Control    Board    or    Pollution    Control
Committee.
•   At   national   level:   The   Central   Pollution
Control   Board   shall   prepare   operational


‘Sustainable Model’ on C & D waste management
The key components of a ‘Sustainable Model’ on Construction and Demolition (C & D) Waste Management Rules, 2016 can include the following:
•    Practical estimation of C & D waste generation
Identified   sites   and   timely   acquisition   of   land   for development of integrated C & D processing facilities with necessary approval from local administration / civic bodies
•    Specifications  /  standards  for  recycled  C  &  D  waste
products for quality acceptance
•    List out and mandate use of recycled products from C & D
wastes
•    Penalty - Landfill levy
Map water bodies in a city / region – encroachment of water bodies in cities for generating ‘land’ is a common practice observed several cities
•    Research on economically viable C & D recycling options
Awareness campaign – tools for sensitization of general public.

guidelines related to environmental management of C&D waste and Indian Roads Congress need to prepare standards and practices pertaining to products of C&D waste in roads construction.
The processing / recycling site shall be away from habitation clusters, forest areas, water bodies, monuments, National Parks, Wetlands and places of important cultural, historical or religious interest.

To make the efforts put forth in the direction of C&D waste management, following a “Sustainable Model” may
further accelerate the results.

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