Rules on building, demolition waste not being followed in City

While the Union government has issued a new set of rules on construction and demolition (C&D) waste, similar rules framed by the state government remain on paper.

Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules-Chapter Two which also deals with C&D waste, states that C&D waste should be segregated and recycled. Bengaluru alone generates around 1,500-2,000 tonnes C&D waste everyday. Over the last two years, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and BBMP have identified six abandoned quarries on the outskirts of the city to dump C&D waste.

But according to Vaman Acharya, former KSPCB chairman, waste is not being dumped there. The plan was to put earthen material on one layer. This is followed by covering a plain surface with stone, cement and concrete. All this is crushed and converted to artificial sand (M-sand). But despite these rules, little is being done.

The state government had constituted an expert committee, comprising the BBMP Special Commissioner, former KSPCB officials and Supreme Court advisers on waste, to advise the BBMP on waste management. They had strictly cautioned BBMP not to mix C&D waste with other types of waste. These sites are gradually becoming garbage dump sites since they are not being monitored. The aim of these pits was to fill them, level them and reclaim the land for other purposes, said former KSPCB chairman and expert committee member H C Sharatchandra.

He said that like most rules, this is also not being followed. The BBMP and the expert committee also drew up a plan to identify and notify C&D lands in each BBMP zone and those applying for construction and renovation would have to estimate the quantum of waste they would generate. Based on this, they have to deposit money and ensure that C&D waste is managed. But little has been done on the ground, he added.

Most of the C&D waste is found lying on roadsides or construction sites. Contractors associated with various civic agencies pick up abandoned waste and use them to fill potholes, dug-up roads and garbage piles.

“Recycling of waste cannot be done in isolation. There is a need for dumping units also. The government should ensure that all the debris is well managed. They can use it for their own construction projects and set the tempo. This is important as the PM-10 (particulate matter) levels are shooting up in the city. Rules should be implemented with no leniency,” Acharya added.  
DH News Service