Net Shunya Decarbonising the Built Environment: C&D Waste

CSE organised the training programme "Net Shunya: Decarbonising the Built Environment – C&D Waste" from November 11 to 14, 2024, and 31 participants attended the training. The programme began with a National Conference at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, and for the rest of the days, the participants were taken to the Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute (AAETI), located in Nimli, Tijara, Rajasthan. The training was attended by a diverse group of participants, including government officials from construction organisations, industry representatives, civil societies and academicians.

The first day featured a day-long national conference titled “Debris Deliberations: Challenges and Pathways for Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste Recycling”. Held at Casuarina Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, the conference addressed challenges in efficiently operating C&D recycling facilities. CSE presented findings from a comparative study of 16 C&D plants in India, identifying the gaps in financial mechanisms, operational processes, and the economic viability of these facilities. The event brought together key stakeholders from across the C&D waste management ecosystem to discuss potential policy interventions for creating a sustainable and effective C&D recycling system. Following the conference, participants visited a C&D waste recycling plant in Noida to gain practical insights into recycling operations. The day concluded with participants travelling to AAETI to continue the training.

The second day began with a lecture by Mr Rajneesh Sareen, Programme Director, Sustainable Buildings and Habitat Programme, CSE, introducing the concept of “New Vastu”. This approach integrates traditional design principles with modern practices to ensure thermal comfort, resource efficiency, health, liveability, and well-being. Mr Rajneesh Sareen also discussed the 2016 rules governing C&D waste management, highlighting implementation challenges and the importance of an ecosystem-based approach. Following this, Ms Sayani Sen, Programme Officer, Sustainable Buildings and Habitat Programme, CSE, gave an insightful lecture on the current practices and progress in managing C&D waste in non-attainment cities. The final lecture of the day by Mr. Sugeet Grover, Programme Manager, Sustainable Buildings and Habitat Programme, CSE, provided an overview of C&D milestones and city-level practices in C&D waste management.

Day three began with a session by Mr Rajneesh Sareen on the role of Environmental Impact Assessment as a safeguard for decarbonising the built environment. This was followed by a session led by Ms Sayani Sen on the value chain and trade practices in the construction industry. Post the lecture, participants engaged in an exercise to calculate the pre-demolition volumetric analysis of C&D waste. This was followed by a lecture by Mr Sugeet Grover on process management and material handling safeguards for dust abatement at site and city levels. For the second exercise of the day, participants worked on understanding and then developing a typical construction timeline. To end Day 3, a tour of the AAETI campus was conducted, highlighting its sustainable features and their effectiveness in reducing environmental impact and contributing to the circularity of resources. The site demonstrated how the natural topography and soft landscaping in the form of vegetation throughout the campus are strategically utilised to reduce overall heat gains, minimise damage from weather extremes, and facilitate wastewater treatment, among other benefits. Other features, including the choice of materials and considerations regarding building orientation, etc., were also showcased during the tour.

The final day began with an interactive brainstorming session led by Mr Sugeet Grover. Half of the participants role-played as key decision-makers, while the other half acted as contractors and developers. Their task was either to agree with the mandates suggested by the decision-makers or to identify any loopholes in those mandates. This activity encouraged the participants to think of practical solutions for C&D waste management and dust mitigation practices.

To conclude the training program and integrate the knowledge gained during the sessions and the AAETI tour, participants were divided into groups and assigned two activities:

1. Identify materials that can be reused and recycled for reconstruction within the AAETI campus.
2. Calculate the volume of C&D waste generated during the demolition of the academic block at AAETI and devise dust prevention measures to be implemented during the process.

All groups diligently worked on these tasks, culminating in presentations from six teams. Their solutions reflected both the insights gained during the training and their independent problem-solving approaches to managing C&D waste.

Course Coordinator:

Garima Kaushal
Senior Research Associate
Sustainable Habitat Programme, CSE,
+91 9910394540
garima.kaushal@cseindia.org

Course Director

Rajneesh Sareen
Programme Director
Sustainable Habitat, CSE
rajneesh.sareen@cseindia.org