Another brick off the Wall

August 25, 2020

Improving Construction and Demolition Waste Management in Indian Cities

Construction and demolition (C&D) waste poses a serious threat to our environment. Heaps of concrete, bricks and metal waste from building construction and infrastructure choke our water-bodies, green areas and public spaces in cities and outside. Huge amounts of toxic dust particles from the debris pollute the air. Rules to manage this waste were notified in 2016, but their implementation on the ground has remained a challenge. Recent critical policy developments are now expected to have a strong bearing on acceleration of C&D waste management in cities.

The National Clean Air Programme aims to reduce particulate pollution by 20–30 per cent by 2024 in about 122 cities that do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Clean-air action plans in these cities have included C&D management as part of their clean-air strategies. The other big development is the 15th Finance Commission’s direct allocation of Rs 4,400 crore to urban local bodies (ULBs) for air pollution control. C&D management is the direct responsibility of ULBs, and this funding can catalyse transformation in cities and strongly support Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

This report assesses the current preparedness of cities with regard to C&D waste management and presents an action plan with detailed indicators for strategy development and implementation.