Indian cities falling short in construction waste control: CSE study

As Indian cities grapple with escalating air pollution, a fresh report from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) reveals a widespread lack of readiness among these cities to effectively manage construction and demolition (C&D) waste, which significantly contributes to urban pollution.

The country’s resource extraction rate is a staggering 1,580 tonnes per acre, dwarfing the global average of 450 tonnes per acre. In response to this growing concern, the National Clean Air Programme has set a target for the 131 non-attainment cities in India to reduce their particulate pollution by 40% by 2026.

Indian construction sector set to boom

The report, entitled “Construction and Demolition Waste: Closing the Loop for Sustainability,” was unveiled by CSE during a national conference held today, highlighting the urgent need for a systematic and scientific approach to C&D waste management for a cleaner, more sustainable urban environment.

Upon the release of the report, Sunita Narain, the Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment, remarked: “Management of construction and demolition waste could be a transformative factor. A decade ago, the primary concern was the impact of this waste on water bodies, as indiscriminate dumping was polluting them. However, by 2018-19, the focus shifted to the dust this waste generated, as it was discovered to significantly contribute to air pollution. It became clear that there is a substantial opportunity to improve the situation in this sector.”

According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India’s construction sector is poised for significant growth, projected to reach a value of US $1.4 trillion by 2025 and contribute approximately 13% to the national GDP. This expansion will include the addition of billions of square meters for various infrastructural developments, including affordable housing, commercial spaces, and transportation networks.

Rajneesh Sareen, Director of CSE’s Sustainable Buildings and Habitat Programme, emphasizes that this growth will not only lead to a substantial increase in waste but also escalate the demand for raw building materials, necessitating extensive mining.

The draft National Resource Efficiency Policy of 2019 indicates that India’s material consumption has sextupled from 1.18 billion tonnes in 1970 to seven billion tonnes in 2015, with a resource extraction rate significantly higher than the global average and a relatively low recycling rate.

Discrepancies found in Indian cities' waste reporting

According to estimates from the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 2.0, the cities producing the most construction and demolition (C&D) waste are Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Bengaluru. However, these numbers are much lower than what the cities themselves have reported. For example, Delhi actually produces more than four times the estimated amount, and Kolkata produces over twice as much. This shows that the current methods used to guess how much C&D waste is made need to be improved.

When it comes to collecting this waste, only a few cities have shared how much they pick up every day. For instance, Delhi collects about 1,770 tonnes, while smaller cities like Lucknow, Varanasi, Meerut, Agra, Bareilly, Chittoor, and Gajraula collect much less.

The total amount collected by these cities is around 2,020 tonnes per day. Some cities charge for collecting the waste based on its weight or the cost of transportation. A few cities also fine people who don’t manage their waste properly, and some have vehicles to pick up the waste.

The data shows that most cities collect less than 10% of their C&D waste. However, some smaller cities claim they collect all of it. In contrast, big cities like Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai don’t collect as much. This suggests that smaller cities might have a better chance of improving how much waste they collect.

Out of all the cities, 54 have specific places where people can drop off their C&D waste. Twenty-nine of these cities have shared where these drop-off points are located. Meanwhile, nine cities have said they don’t have any collection points at all.

Mismanagement of construction and demolition waste

Mitashi Singh, Programme Manager at CSE, adds that the mismanagement of construction and demolition waste, often disposed of in ecologically sensitive areas, inflicts severe environmental harm. Furthermore, the construction process itself is a major source of dust and particulate matter, contributing to the air pollution crisis in Indian cities and associated health risks such as lung cancer and respiratory diseases.

The CSE report includes a performance matrix assessment of 14 cities across seven states, evaluating them on six parameters and 26 sub-parameters, along with guidelines for controlling construction dust.

The report recommends a holistic ecosystem approach to waste management, the prompt establishment of relevant bye-laws, accurate data collection on waste quantities, robust waste collection and treatment infrastructure, efficient construction practices to reduce waste and dust, and financial reforms to support waste management and air pollution control efforts.

Incomplete data on city waste

Out of the 131 non-attainment cities that have submitted their action plans on PRANA, a mere 35 (26%) possess data on construction and demolition (C&D) waste generation. Collectively, these cities produce 6,563.48 tonnes of C&D waste per day, with Delhi leading in waste generation. However, only eight cities have disclosed their daily C&D waste collection figures.

The current estimation guidelines for C&D waste generation need revision due to significant variability in the data. The Centre for Science and Environment’s analysis suggests that the actual amount of waste generated could be considerably higher, especially when considering active construction sites.

The C&D Waste Management Rules of 2016 provided a schedule for cities to establish and start C&D waste recycling plants. Among the 131 non-attainment cities, 53 have reported on the status of their plants, with only 12 cities having at least one operational plant. The remaining cities are in various stages of planning or construction.

Furthermore, the C&D Rules require cities to enact municipal bylaws, which 17 cities have reported doing. To enhance monitoring and waste collection, cities are also implementing dedicated helpline numbers and developing mobile applications.

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