CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has approved draft guidelines for the management of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, reinforcing stricter regulations to prevent illegal dumping and ensure responsible disposal. The decision was made during the council meeting held at Ripon Buildings on Friday.
Under the new guidelines, C&D waste must be collected and disposed of separately only at the designated sites allocated zone-wise by the GCC. The complete list of designated disposal sites will be available on the GCC website.
Waste generators are classified into four categories — micro-scale (below 1,000 kg), small-scale (1-20 metric tonnes per day), bulk generators (over 300 metric tonnes per month or demolition area covering 600+ sq. meters) — and service providers such as PWD, CMRL, Tangedco among other government departments. The GCC mandates that C&D waste must not be mixed with hazardous waste.
Illegal dumping in public spaces, stormwater drains or waterbodies will attract penalties with fines ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 per tonne based on the waste generators category. Bulk waste generators violating rules may face penalties of up to Rs 25,000 per day. Waste exceeding 7 days will be cleared by the GCC, with disposal costs and penalties recovered from the generators.
A toll-free helpline will be launched for citizens to request waste collection and a help desk will be established. Upon receiving call, the respective zonal office will deploy vehicles to collect waste from the location and transport it to designated sites. After disposal, officials will submit a completion report to the help desk.
For transportation, disposal is free up to 1,000 kg, while charges go up to Rs 2,500 from 1 MT to 20 MT of C&D waste. Meanwhile, bulk waste generators are directed to collect and transport the waste straight to the Kodungaiyur and Perungudi dump yards’ processing sites. The processing costs are set at Rs 800 per tonne.
The draft guidelines were earlier published on GCC website, inviting feedback. The public suggested creating a designated mobile application where users can upload details of available debris, allowing others in need of construction materials to purchase them. Additionally, they proposed the sale of recycled products from C&D waste, which the GCC will consider.